> Just Dropping In
>  by Gunsmith
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

							Just Dropping in
By Gunsmith

I have decided “waking up” means a restoration of one’s senses, one by one, and that each of the five senses is restored in a certain order that varies from person to person. The first thing my mind registers is an alarm, uttering the same note repeatedly until I score a hit upon the “snooze” button. As the digital clock continues to shout at me, other senses begin to kick in. I feel the warmth of multiple layers of blanket, my back in contact with my bed’s mattress, my limbs splayed in various positions beneath the covers, my head on my somewhat uncomfortable pillow. I begin to taste that morning taste, the one of staleness and emptiness. Smell registers next, though there is little to smell in the room, and my breathing begins to increase with the regaining of consciousness. Finally, sight is restored. I groggily open my eyes.

Everything is blurry. This is probably due to my poor vision; I’ve had to have visual aid since a young age. However, clarity can wait. I glance--no, glare over at the alarm clock, still screaming in monotone. My right arm shoots out and smacks the “snooze” button a few times, silencing the alarm.

Finally. Thank God.

I pull in my arm a few inches and nab my glasses, which sit on the bedside table the alarm clock does. Underneath my glasses is one of my favorite books, Rainbow Six, which I am re-reading for a third time. I rub my eyes and then slide them onto my face; as I do so, my vision goes to 20/20.

I glance around my room, as I do most morning, as if to clarify where I am. The walls of my room are a shade of beige, and have been fairly well-maintained. A single window is in the wall left of my bed, centered with the wall. It lets in a massive amount of sunlight, even through closed blinds. The window hurts to look at, and I glance away. The ceiling is painted white, and is also well-maintained, save for a small watermark in one corner of the room. A fan hangs from the ceiling, but is immobile because the room is already cold enough.

Two doors decorate the wall directly opposite me in my bed. One, on the left from my view, is a small closet, where I hang my fifteen or so nondescript T-shirts and zip-up hoodies. The other on the right is the door to the bathroom. A three-and-a-half foot tall bookcase sits between them, filled with various Tom Clancy novels and some Physics books.

The wall to my right holds a small kitchen apparatus, and the door leading into the hallway of the building I live in. There is a fridge, stocked with various single-person-sized foods (like a quarter-gallon of milk), an electric oven that heats up a bit more than what is desired, a sink that provides ever-delicious tap water (sarcasm is hard to display when writing), and cabinets above it all, filled with various cereals and devices designed to hold  food and drink. Some drawers, filled with silverware (made not from silver, but from stainless steel--real silver is not for the middle class, apparently), line the counters that separate all of the kitchen machines.

The door leads to a hallway, lined with a few other doors just like it. Each of the doors in the hall have a number and a letter that follows; mine is 2C, second floor, third room. My room is one of eight in a small apartment complex. This complex, a seemingly old building on the outside, yet nice and clean on the inside, is situated on a side street within the small city I reside in; temporarily. The city is an urban one, and is a lifeline for the county, but is tiny when compared to the much larger cities in the state of Ohio. Ohio is a nice enough state in the U.S. Birthplace of aviation and all, but it holds little more in terms of fame, weather, anything like that. It is my home state, and I can’t seem to resist coming back to it; though I only left it a few years ago. 

Ohio and its whimsical weather has decided this year to make the winter a true winter: one with snow and cold temperatures. I had experienced quite a few winters that had felt more like summer or spring in Ohio. But now, a light coating of snow covered the ground, and frost made the trees look eerie yet mesmerizing at the same time. The temperature outside was low enough to maintain the frozen precipitation, yet high enough to prevent very uncomfortable weather, black ice, and other hazards that come with temperatures too low.

The college I attend has been nice enough to give us all a month-long winter break. The college is not one of Ohio, but is more focused on my career field: mechanical engineering. That is my major, and physics is my fall-back. However, mechanical engineering is a large field, and always has been. The career I desire the most is to be a gunsmith, one who creates, repairs, designs, and generally deals with firearms, all day, every day. I don’t know when my love for firearms began, it just did. My thoughts return to the present.

I have been sitting up for about a minute, half-awake, half-asleep. Time to move, let’s go. 

I swing to the side of my bed and place my feet on the ground, then push off the bed, placing my weight onto my feet. I am a large person; not large as in wide, but large as in tall, coming in at over six-and-a-half feet tall. 

I groan as I stretch my limbs, and form the first spoken word of my day: 

“Damn...”

I reach over to the bedside table and grab my watch, sitting beside my book. Yes, I wear a watch, don’t judge me. As I fumble with the belt-like strap on it around my left wrist, I note the time and date:

11:02 A.M., 12-21.

My usual waking time on weekends and other days off, 11 o’ clock. I enjoy staying up late and sleeping in, and have no idea how other people can manage to be an “early-morning person”. Mornings, though a beautiful time of day, are absolute hell, always, even on days off. 

I think about the date. December 21, 2012. I laugh to myself. Time to see if the Mayans were right, shall we? No, moreover, it was time to start off the day.

I go about my daily routine, which has remained the same for a long time. Get up, use the bathroom, shower, eat, ???, begin day. The warm water is a nice wake up. My breakfast consists of some buttered toast and cereal shaped like small O’s. Waking up complete, I was ready to waste the day away.

I walk over to my bed and kneel down, reaching under it and grabbing a laptop computer and its respective charger. Lifting open the lid-screen-thing, I tap the power button and watch as my source of entertainment comes to life. A Windows operating system symbol flashes on the screen, accompanied by the four-note chime. My background appears along with the icons. I double-tap the Chrome icon, and it opens a second later. Clicking the address bar, I begin browsing the World Wide Web.

Firstly, I go to a website relating to a novel filled with faces. Status updates are mainly focused on the date, either being last testaments or rants about the ridiculousness of the hype over the day. I take the side of the rants, chuckling a bit as I read a few “last testaments”. Leaving, I check some web comic websites, earning me a smile and a slight laugh, and then head off to a site filled with some funny content and some content that was pure junk. I laugh some more as I troll along through the front page, seeing what others have found entertaining.

And finally, I arrive at my destination on the Internet; a video sharing site used by millions. My goal here is to watch an episode of the Internet’s favorite (or least favorite) television show:

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

Ah, yes. I am what is known as a “brony”. A “closet brony”, to be more specific. Very few know of my love for the show, only a few fellow brony friends and the dwellers of the Internet. I was introduced to the show about a year ago by one of said brony friends, and a few episodes had me hooked. At first, I responded to the show as most probably have. 

Me, a 20 year old, grown-ass man, watching a show about ponies? Multicolored, little-girl-oriented, animated ponies? Yeah, right.

And here I am now, a fan of the show for about a year. I don’t know what it is about My Little Pony that makes me want to watch it. Maybe the amount of humor and references I can appreciate. Maybe the associable characters, whose personalities matched my own or people I knew. Maybe the fact I could relate it to the cartoons I had watched and loved over the years, like Looney Toons or Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. I could not tell you for the life of me.  

The show had entered its third season only a few months ago. The internet had gone absolutely nuts over it, as had I. It was, is filled with many more adult references, brony references, internet references, excellent humor, background ponies being focused on some more, and so much more. It was more than I had been expecting, and I was loving it. A new episode would air tomorrow, and I couldn’t wait, but I had missed the previous episode due to being with my family that weekend. The season was about on its 18th episode, which I searched for and quickly found a video of. 

As I let the video buffer, I glance over with a smile to my bedside table. A final object stands there, the only sign that I am a brony: a small, plastic toy, created in the image of Rainbow Dash. The friend who introduced me to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic had got it for me as a gift some time ago, I guess as some kind of “welcome to the herd” gift; either way, I had appreciated it and still do. She is my favorite of the “Mane Six”. I took a liking to her soon after first watching the show. My best guess as to why I favor her is because of her personality. She represents the element of loyalty among friends. She is brash and bold on appearances, but in reality, is actually a kindhearted pony who would do anything to help a friend in need. Yeah, sappy, I know, but hey, it’s why I like her on the show. Plus, she’s about 20% cooler than all of the other ponies.

I hit the “play” button on the video, and as I do, the black screen fades into one Twilight Sparkle, and her assistant, Spike, in a hot air balloon drifting downwards. The opening theme begins to play.

My little pony,
My little pony,
Ahhh, ahhh, ahhh, ahhh!

My smile fades a bit as I hear something. I pause the video, and listen for a second from my bed. Is that...shouting? I shrug it off, and continue the video.

My little pony,
I used to wonder what friendship could be...
Until you all shared its magic with me!

The volume of the shouting has increased. I pause the video, again. Damn it, what the hell? Right before Rainbow Dash’s part, too. I frown and stand up, leaving the warm laptop on the bed. The shouting continues. It seems to be coming from all around me, in both the other apartments and outside, but mainly outside. I walk over to the window and fumble with the strings, raising the blinds. I peer out the window.

The first thing I notice is pedestrians pointing and shouting, a few screaming. A few are running, a few are standing, mouths agape. I can see large breath clouds coming from those saying things I can not understand through the window. Snow is kicked up as people dash by, and once in a while someone slips.  I see a few cars fly by at rates of speed I knew were not street legal, judging by the audible roars of their engines and the blurs that followed them as my eyes tracked the cars. 

What in the hell...?

I fully raise the blinds. I look at one of the pointing pedestrians and follow their outstretched arm with my eyes, craning my neck to see where they are pointing. As I do, something catches my eye. It is golfball sized from my point of view, and is high in the sky. It glows a terrific red-orange color. As I track it with my eyes, I wonder what it is. A shooting star? Much too big, and it’s daytime, it would be nearly impossible to see. A meteor shower? Again, too big, and there’s just one. The ball of red-orange is now moon-sized, and growing steadily. My minds begins working a little faster, and with the increasing confusion, I feel some panic. 

An asteroid?

Or would it be a meteorite, since it would be able to make it through Earth’s atmosphere without sizzling up? Were asteroids that hit Earth still called asteroids? Damn it, you have bigger problems than what an Earth-colliding asteroid is called! That thing is getting big. Really big. And it isn’t burning up in the atmosphere. Just how big is it? Only enough to make a crater somewhere...or enough to make Earth a crater? I shove the thought out of my head. No, that’s not possible...is it? I am beginning to doubt my safety now.

The screams and shouts continue outside. Many, many cars are going very fast now. I wince as I hear the sound of hard braking and a fiber and aluminum body impacting another in the distance. The ball of...fire...is so close now. I saw something on the History channel once about how the moon probably looked millions of years ago, so close and enormous in the night sky, and this asteroid was just about matching that representation’s size right now.

I hear screaming, crying, yelling, cursing...panic. I have not heard panic often before. It is not a sound one wants to hear at any time. It brings feelings of sadness, anger, and panic itself. This isn't happening... My mind feels numb, dead to me, devoid of any thought save for an attempt at denial of the events currently happening.

Contrary to popular belief, my life does not flash before my eyes. I do think of my family, how I love them, how I know they feel the same, how I miss them and want to be with them. I also feel regret...for everything and anything I have ever done, I suppose. That I could have done more, done better. My thoughts are interrupted by a feeling of heat increasing, and the sight of the object heading towards Earth becoming like looking into the midday sun. The snow outside is replaced by small floods of precipitation. Screaming becomes the dominant noise I hear through the window, screams of pain and fear. People are clutching their bodies in agony.

I turn away from the window. My eyes scan the room, left and right, as if trying to find some hope of escape; they fail to do so. My mind registers no important thoughts, and I suppose it has given up, either in trying to survive or trying to comprehend what seems to be happening to it. I have “zoned out”, staring at one spot but not recognizing it. My view comes into focus as I see I am staring at a small, cyan blue object with rainbow-colored faux hair coming from it, sitting atop the bedside table in my room; the toy of Rainbow Dash.

I smile for a second, forgetting everything at the sight of Rainbow Dash, and my world falls into darkness.
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Darkness. Black, all around me, a void with no end. I cannot feel anything.

Wait, no...there is something...feeling begins to return to me.

I feel wind upon my face. Fast wind. The kind of wind one feels when riding a motorcycle, or sticking their head out of a car window. It feels nice. Cold, relaxing. I can hear it, too, the air rushing off of my face and ears, but I am still in darkness.

There is another feeling. It is not in my face, it is lower...higher?...in my body; I feel disoriented. My body's center of gravity seems to be shifting into my upper chest. I know this feeling...

Falling.

I am falling. The worst of my fears. The fear of heights is one of the most popular fears among humankind; however, for many, like me, it is not the height, it is what happens if they were to fall from the height. A quick death would ensue, but the ride down would be an absolute nightmare, nothing but pure fear the whole way down. I had never liked roller coasters, parachutes, anything like that, because they felt too open, it felt too easy to fall; being in a tall building or an airplane was quite the opposite, for I knew it would be nearly impossible to fall unless what I was inside of did so.

But now, I am falling, inside of nothing. I realize my eyes are completely closed; I do not dare open them. I try to think of anything happy, but fear overrides these thoughts. And so, I continue to plummet. How long must this horrible nightmare last?

As if to answer my thoughts, I feel a hard impact on my right shoulder. My head slams into the same surface milliseconds later, causing multicolored flashes to explode like fireworks inside my closed eyes. My hearing goes out, replaced by a piercing ringing inside my own head. My momentum continues propelling my face-planting body onward, flipping it farther into a forwards roll. As my face leaves the surface, my back impacts the ground. Something behind me, that feels like it is on my upper back on the right side, makes a sickening crunch.

The pain takes its time reaching my brain. And when it does, my vision behind my closed lids erupts into pure white flashes. It could be compared to holding a stun grenade in front of one's face as it detonates. I feel pain rocket through my body, starting at a point on my back, spreading to my chest and torso, and eventually enveloping my body.

I continue to tumble forward at what definitely feels like a vicious speed. I land, over and over, upon the area on my back, each time with a renewed spear of pain and a crackle of what I am sure is broken bones shifting and fracturing even more within my own skin.

I feel an impact on my skull, have a split second of recognition, and black out.

***	

My mind enters a state of consciousness and control. I snap open my eyes, but immediately regret doing so because of the blinding white I am greeted with. I inhale sharply after being blinded. I squeeze my eyes shut, and my brain begins to function properly.

I can feel the warmth shared by my body and a bed I am lying upon, and a soft pillow lies under my face. Odd, I don't normally sleep on my belly. The room is quiet, save for the muffled chirping of birds; probably cardinals, Ohio has a lot of them. I note there is no alarm; did I forget to set one? I hope it isn't too late in the day. The room lacks anything to smell. And a stale taste, the taste of morning, sits in my mouth.

Christ, that dream was horrible...

As a kid, I was plagued by what are called "night terrors", basically nightmares that feel much worse and create a lot more panic. Those nightmares paled in comparison to what I had just felt. I must have had my feet covered or something; if my body got too hot, it seemed like the night terrors would arrive.

I decide there's not a point in mulling over it, though. I roll off of my chest, on to my left side, and on to my back, just lying there for a minute, eyes closed. I inhale and let out a sigh through my mouth.

I reach over with my right arm blindly, hoping I don't smack my glasses off the bedside table by mistake. I feel the impact of a paperback book on my arm; I should be close. I move my arm around over the surface of the book; no glasses.

Shoot, I probably did knock them on the floor. Damn it. I'm going to have to open my eyes...

I turn my head to the right side, and open my eyes slowly, squinting. The bright light in the room hurts my eyes momentarily, and I soon force them half-open.

What greets my eyes is something I am not expecting to see. The first thing I notice is the book; it is not Rainbow Six. The book is one colored in brown, with a picture of a mustard-yellow horse with gray hair and wearing a safari hat upon it. What? I quickly read the title: Daring Do and the Crystal Pelvis. Wait, what?! A hint of recognition at the name sparks in my mind, then dies. Another thought registers in my head: I can read that. Without my glasses... I attempt to find the rims of my glasses in my vision, but see none. My vision is perfect; I look back to the book, hoping for an explanation. What I see next as I look back is the table upon which the book is sitting. It is a white table and holds only the book and a picture frame; there is a picture filled with multicolored horses, six or so by the looks of it. Confusion has fully overtaken me at this point.

My eyes finally dart a fraction of an inch downward and focus upon the most foreign object of all. It is resting beside the paperback book. It stands out from its entire background due to its color. The walls, floor, and table within my sight picture are all various shades of white or gray; this object is black. Not a jet black, not a gray-black, but a matte black. I recognize the shade of black easily because it is my favorite color. I don't know why matte black looks so nice to me, but it does. Others think it to be a very plain color, or one that represents evil or something like that; I disagree. It looks sleek and refined. It is not entirely out of place in daylight, yet blends in at night. I owned a few combat knives with blades of this color; oftentimes they were nice to just look at.

This matte black object appears to be a cylinder. It is neatly outlined by a faint black of a darker tint.  Its origin seems to disappear in the bottom right corner of my field of view. This can't be my...is it? I decide to find out. I subconsciously command my brain to move my right arm up. My brain sends a small electrical charge through my body and to the sensors in my arm, activating the muscles and moving them as I desire. The black cylinder raises a few inches.

I stare in disbelief. I try to move my arm again, and the cylinder moves as I desire. I continue to wave the appendage repeatedly a bit, until my mind is content, I suppose.

And then, panic begins to set in. My next action is to bring my opposite arm, my left, into my field of view. I tilt my head slightly to the left to see it. Another matte black cylinder-like appendage waves back at me.

More panic. Where are my arms?! I bring both appendages in front of my face, and begin testing various joints. I attempt to bend the elbows of both; to my now greater surprise, my outstretched appendages bend away from me, as if my arms have been turned around backwards. I can feel my eyes widen.

What the FUCK?!

I quickly move to my wrists, attempting to bend them to and fro. To my slight relief, they appear to function the same, moving forwards and backwards. Finally, I attempt to flex my...

Hands? Fingers? Where did my...

I desperately attempt to flex my hands or fingers, but nothing happens. I stare blankly at the unmoving tips of the black cylinders in front of me.

WHERE THE FUCK ARE MY HANDS?!

I begin panicking. I am afraid to see what the rest of my body looks like, but I know I must look down at some point. I shift my eyes downward, and my jaw drops.

Beneath my raised appendages lies a body...my body?...outstretched upon the bed I am on. It is the same color of the appendages, a matte black with a darker outline. I slowly look down the body. It is completely bare, devoid of all or any clothing. I reach what has replaced my legs. Despite the new color, my thighs look normal, but upon reaching the knee I see something entirely new. 

The thigh cuts off with a knee of sorts, extends down (or back, if I were to stand) shortly, then levels back out into another cylinder-like appendage on my left and right. It looks like an odd distortion of a human leg, with an undersized shin/calf and oversized thighs and feet. Like the appendages above these, there are no extensions made of bone on either leg at the end known as toes.

My mind goes completely blank, probably in overload. A few seconds pass, then my brain switches to primal instinct. Being that fighting would mean fighting my own arms and legs, flight seems logical. 

I give out a loud yelp, a quick shout of sorts, and kick off to the side of the bed in an attempt to escape the foreign appendages and body that had seemingly overtaken mine. Not looking far enough into the future to see what kind of results kicking off of the bed would bring, I find myself in the air off to one side of the bed, heading towards the floor a few feet below me.

Inevitable gravity brings me down with a thump as I hit the floor and wall at nearly the same time. Or more, my head hits the wall, and my back hits the floor. I feel the impact of an already-injured skull upon a wall, which, oddly enough, feels hard at first and then soft, once I cease moving towards it. I grunt as the hit makes my vision flicker and blur and replaces my hearing with a loud ringing. My back makes contact with the floor, and something behind me makes a crunching noise. I feel a massive burst of pain from the high-right of my back, but shock kicks in, and I pass out.

***

My head throbs, and with each throb a new wave of pain arrives with it. The throbs come in perfect time with my heart:

Tha-thump. Tha-thump. Tha-thump.

Something else hurts, too. It's behind my back, but I don't know what is in pain, or what is causing the pain. All I really know is that it hurts like hell.

I can feel pressure on my back. I must be lying on it. Am I in my bed? Was I asleep? I recalled the events that seemed so recent. My body...not being mine. Not being in my own room, being in a foreign place. And...the pain. Dreams didn't ever have that much pain, did they? Mine never had before, unless I had fallen off my bed or something. But...that couldn't have happened, right? I still feel like me. Except for the pain...this was some of the worst I had ever felt. I need to find out where it is coming from.

I open my eyes. I see...white. I'm looking directly up. There is a wall at the top of my field of view, also white, with a window in it. The window is open, I think. I attempt to lean up into a sitting position, and am able to do so. My head throbs a bit harder with the change in position and altitude. 

"Nngh..." I groan.

Alright...I need to see if that dream was...a dream. I move what feels like my arms in front of what I believe to be my face. I take in a deep breath and hold it in. I open my eyes.

What greets me is two matte black cylinders in front of my face, which I can see with crystal-clear, 20/20 vision; and my glasses are not resting upon my face. I look down. My entire body is the same color, darker outlines and all. My legs remain the same odd shape they took on in my "dream". I glance back up at my "arms", and bend them at the elbows. They bend away from me. I roll my shoulders a bit, turning them towards me, and then they bend towards me, like human arms should. My shoulders seem to be angled so that my "arms" can be turned in nearly any direction, like in a ball-and-socket joint.

I can't tear my eyes off of my arms. I blink a few times, and they remain there, as alien to me as ever. I begin panicking again, beginning to shove off of the oddly soft floor with my legs towards the wall again, but am stopped by said wall. Pain shoots from my back again. Where is that coming from?!

I crane my neck around to the right in an attempt to see what is causing me pain. I see an oddly shaped thing sticking out of my upper back. What it is is hard to discern; it is covered in...medical tape? Yes, white medical tape. I attempt to move it, flexing various parts of my back as best I can. Eventually, it moves an inch or two downward. I begin to wonder, and curiosity gets the best of me.

Knowing most bodies are generally symmetrical in design, I twist my head over to the left side of my body. What I see is...feathers. Matte black feathers, the color matching the rest of me. They are arranged in an orderly fashion, or were supposed to be. Some of the feathers are bent or slightly tilted off position. I resist the urge to re-arrange them. There are many of them, layered on top of one another, row upon row of them. They look very soft, as bird feathers do, a silky kind of feel. Birds...

I don't know what I am, but I know what these are. These are wings. Large, matte black wings, attached to my back, and my right wing is in medical tape and is the source of my pain.

What am I?

And where am I? I turn my head back to a centered position. I am staring at a bed. In fact, the bed I was on in my "dream". It has a blue bedspread on it, and I can see part of a decal on top of it that uses multiple colors. I look to my left and see the bedside table. It is actually not white, but a purple with a white top on it. The purple matches the actual frame of the bed I am beside. 

I need to get a better look around...

I need to stand up. I attempt to do so, lifting myself with my arm-things off the ground and onto my footless legs. Too late I remember why humans actually have feet. I stumble backwards a bit, nearly falling over, and smacking the wall, wings first. Damn it. I rebound off the wall, falling into an all-fours position. Oddly enough, it feels...normal. Is what I am four-legged? It's like playing 20 Questions with no one to answer any of them.

I look down at my...forelegs. I lift them up and down, right and left, trying to get a feel for them. I begin bear-crawling (except now it feels like walking) in a small circle, corresponding legs at the same time. My right foreleg lifts as my right leg does, and vice versa. I trot around in a circle a bit, staring at my legs, proud of my small accomplishment. I snap back to reality after a minute and lift my head back up.

I take another look at the bed. The decal on the bedspread is of a storm cloud with a lightning bolt streaking out of it. A rainbow lightning bolt. Wait...I know that design...no, it can't be. I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I look over to the bedside table. On top is a book titled Daring Do and the Crystal Pelvis, and a picture frame with a picture of six horses standing in a group...wait, not horses...they're smaller and look different. They look all too familiar. I again shake my head and turn away.

There is a bedside table on the other side of the bed, too. Piled upon it are more books with various titles, most beginning with "Daring Do and...", but a few are books based upon flight. I see a few titles: Aerodynamics and Pegasi, The Stratosphere and You, and Advanced Wing Maneuvering are a few. The stack looks like it might fall over if even one more book was placed atop it.

I continue to scan rightward. There is another pure white wall with a window centered on it. Not only is the window open, it lacks blinds, curtains, or even window panes, it is merely a precisely cut hole in the wall. Maybe it has shutters.
Underneath the window sits what I believe to be a dresser. The drawers are filled with small articles of clothing. I see a few types of clothing hanging out of a few drawers; I can make out a rainbow-colored scarf and...socks? No, stockings by the looks of it. That's a bit odd... I look right onto the next wall.

The fourth wall of the room is undoubtedly the most filled of the four walls. In the center of it is a floor-to-ceiling doorway. The door is opened a foot or two, and I can see some stairs going downwards outside the room. To the left of the doorway, from my perspective, is a double sliding door, much like those one often sees on closets; in fact, it is a closet. One door is slid open all the way, showing half the closet. Inside, contrasting the white insides and doors of the closet, are a few larger pieces of clothing. I can see two different dresses, at the least; one has some gold accessories attached to it, and looks quite flashy (then again, it is rainbow colored), while the other, also a multitude of colors, looks a bit simpler. Both are definitely formal. Another door, also cracked open sits on the right side of the main doorway. I note a large bathtub through the open door and decide it is a bathroom. Between the three doorways, filling the void space on the walls, are posters; these posters have pictures of the small horses on them, with wings and in blue suits. Logos reading Wonderbolts are scrawled in an electricity-esque printing across the bottoms of both posters.

As I stare at the posters, reading them and again recognizing the name "Wonderbolts", a thought clicks within my head. I glance back at the door I presume leads into a bathroom. Don't most bathrooms have mirrors...? 

My stomach turns a bit at seeing (or more, confirming) what I have...turned in to? I attempt to push the feeling away, and steel myself. I begin walk--no, trotting towards the door right of the door leading to the rest of wherever I am. As I approach the door, I lift my right foreleg and thrust it out with a bit of force. The door swings open, somewhat lazily. I enter the bathroom.

My suspicions are correct. What I saw was indeed a bathtub. It appears to be made of something other than porcelain, something that looks too...plushy and absorbent to hold water; and something that is the same material as the rest of the walls, ceilings, floors, and doors I see in the bathroom and that I saw in the bedroom. I look right and see a towel rack, made of the same materials; two multicolored towels hang upon it. Seeing nothing else interesting, I turn to my left. There. A double sink sits on my left, and above it is a large mirror. To make sure it is a mirror, I wave one of my forelegs in front of it, and am rewarded by a reflection of it in the mirror.

I inhale and step forward, then turn my head to my left, staring into my upper-half reflection in the mirror, the bottom half cut off by the sinks. I am not so much shocked by how I fully appear, but by the fact that I recognize what I am.

I am a pony.

A pegasus, to be exact. A pony with wings. A matte black pony with wings. But not your normal pegasus pony, oh, no. My bodily features are shaped to that of a pony from the television show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I recognize it so very easily. The design of a body lacking discernible hooves, having large, basically oversized eyes, the style of face used for colts and stallions in the show (which holds a more angular shape than the female model), a darker outline lightly enveloping my body's shape, and the lack of general detail. Everything. No matter how hard I attempt to do so, I cannot shove the thought that I am a pony from MLP:FIM  out of my head; no other creature looks like this.

I feel to stunned to comprehend anything I had just realized. I continue to stare at my new form in the mirror. I am a matte black color all over my body; this color is broken up by the hair that sprouts from my head and the back of my neck and my tail in a shaggy manner, which could be considered a shade of black itself. My mane is a dark gray, not a black, like the color a storm cloud holds; there is another color within my mane, an even lighter gray, more comparable to a silver color, except not reflective like silver. This lighter color seems to be centered in my mane, with the darker gray thickly outlining it.

I can see my wings much better now. My left one, which is closest to the mirror, is fully outstretched and is unharmed, only looking a bit ruffled. My right wing is in much worse condition. I can see that it has been wrapped up tightly in medical tape in a half-outstretched position. The taping job does not look professionally done; I assume that the owner of the house I am in (I am almost sure of who it is at this point) did it for me. I recalled my nightmare of falling. Was it a nightmare, truly? Or did I actually crash-land, at this person--no, pony's house? I cringe as I feel some pain radiate from my injured wing, and push the thought away to focus on myself again.

I come to my face, about the only thing I haven't looked at in detail yet. I see that my ears are much larger now, at least in comparison to my body size. I couldn't really notice an improvement in hearing. The only other things that stand out on my face are my eyes. My eyes are absolutely enormous, especially in comparison to body size. I look at my own iris' and see that they are a steel-blue color; I recognize this as my own eye-color. A Scandinavian ancestry had caused me to have a taller height, blondish hair, and the blue eyes I see now as a human. Whenever I had taken off my glasses in front of people, which wasn't often, they would usually comment about how blue my eyes looked. And now, they are glasses-free, crystal-clear, and at least 400% bigger, staring back at me.

I continue to look at myself in the mirror. I glance down a bit, to the bottom of the mirror where it meets the double sinks. I see that I am significantly taller than the sinks. I decide to reach down and see how easy it is to access one of them. I lower my head to just above the sink's level, and find that it is somewhat difficult to do so. I knew this feeling well; it is an aspect of being very tall. At over six and a half feet as a human, reaching sinks had required me to bend over or crouch down. Same with drinking fountains, doorways, urinals, you name it. I could see now that I would meet this problem here; minus urinals. And at least the doorways and ceilings were fairly tall; I had plenty of headroom while standing up. 

I wonder how tall I am now, as a pony? Er, a pegasus... That thought led on to a few others. I wonder what system of measurement ponies use? And how big are they in comparison to humans? Earth pony size, or another size entirely? Earth...that's another thing. Measuring myself can wait. How did I end up here, in Equestria? In a house that reminds me of someone, somepony I know all too well...? Maybe the dreams I had...

My thought are cut off by a noise I hear. It sounds like it came from a lower section of the house, like a floor or two down. I freeze, listening. I think that was the sound of something hitting a door. Silence. No...there is a soft thumping noise. It is perfectly in time, like a metronome, thump, thump, thump, thump. It is still quiet, but is getting progressively louder. I turn and walk out of the bathroom, back into the bedroom I was in.

The thumping is very close now. It sounds like it is coming from the centered doorway, now on my right, coming up the stairs from a lower floor. I trot as quietly as I can further into the room, leaning forward to see the doorway. As I near the bed, the center of the room, I can nearly fully see the door. The thumping stops, and I hear a soft whump. I see the door open all the way.

In trots a pony. No, a pegasus, it has wings folded to its sides. A mare judging from the face and smaller build. The pegasus' coat is a light shade of blue, of which I recognize to be cyan blue. A mane about as shaggy as mine, colored in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, all neatly in that order on her mane, falls over her right shoulder, her left from my view. Her friendly eyes have irises colored magenta. I instantly recognize her.

She smiles and says, "Hey, you're up!" in a scratchy voice that belongs to only one pegasus.

My jaw drops.
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I am nearly paralyzed. Scratch that, I am paralyzed. With what, be it shock, fear, I do not know. What I do know is that I need to get some words out, now.

"I...I...y-you...uhh..."

Damn it. I suppose stuttering is a start, though. I momentarily realize that the voice that came from my throat was not alien, but my own voice. A deep one, maybe a voice on the deep side of average. Wasn't that called something like a "tenor" voice? I can't remember. Try again.

I clear my throat quickly. "A-are you...?"

The cyan blue pegasus cuts me off and puffs her chest out, stating:

"Yep, the one and only Rainbow Dash! Fastest flier in all of Equestria and coolest pony around!"

I feel the fanboy part of me become giddy with excitement. I'm about to yell out a few different things, mostly praise or meme-related comments, but luckily the logical part of me steps in. However, even the logical conscience has all too many questions; I have little idea as to where to start. I do know that my suspicions have been confirmed, and I am in the house of my favorite pegasus.

I hear Rainbow Dash speaking and realize she has been asking me something.

"Huh?" I reply in an intelligent manner.

She chuckles a little. "Your name, what's your name? Who are you?"

I feel my eyes widen (though I am unsure how they do so; I thought they were at maximum-wideness already) upon hearing the question. Who am I? I am about to say my name, my human name, when I realize it might sound somewhat odd to a pony. A name that bore no relation to anything pony names were based off of, like their purpose in life, a detail describing them, things like that; it was merely a name that had little relation to the kind of person I was, what I liked, or what I did.

I ponder this for what is probably an awkwardly long period of time. I couldn't really describe my new color scheme; it is somewhat plain, definitely no rainbow. Nor my personality, for I had never done that before and don't like describing myself anyways. All that leaves is something related to my purpose in life. I had known that well as a human; guns were my obsession, gunsmithing the job for me. But ponies don't have guns. Party cannons, yes, but not firearms.

What would I be meant to do in this place, then? Oh, wait. What would the equivalent of a gunsmith be in a less technologically advanced time period? A blacksmith. I had looked into blacksmithing before, but due to it being as useful in modern times as Latin, by which I mean not very much so other than as a hobby, I hadn't pursued it, instead focusing on a more modern career.

Anyways. Blacksmithing is my purpose (or at least I think so). Now, a blacksmithing-related name... Hmm. I rack my brain as fast as I can, knowing that each second of silence steadily increases the awkwardness of the situation. Many names pop into my head, most related to blacksmithing; I analyze each, determining if it is too simple or too human to be put to good use. I soon run out of names. Damn it!

Think harder. I recall my mental comment of blacksmith's usefulness in the modern world being close to that of...Latin. A single word pops into my head: Ferrum. "Ferrum", the Latin term for...iron; also known as the black metal for its color when heated, and where the term "blacksmith" came from.

How in the hell did I remember that?

I had taken my Chemistry courses a few years ago, and had learned the word there, I suppose. And it had always intrigued me as to why the chemical abbreviation for iron was not something like "Ir", or "In", but instead the Latin term, Ferrum, or "Fe". I recall that gold is abbreviated "Au", for "Aurum", and is one of the few materials, like iron, that also uses this odd system of naming. I repeat "Ferrum" in my head a few times. Ferrum, Ferrum, Fer-rum.

It sounds nice. Odd, nonetheless, but nice. And it makes sense, too. Blacksmithing is my game, iron is my right-hand man, and Ferrum means "iron". If anyone asks about it, I can say I'm from another country, and Ferrum means "iron" in its native language. Yeah, good enough for now. Good enough to stop questions for a while at least. I quickly thank my brain for not being a goddamn troll, as it usually is, and actually giving me something good to work with.

"M-my name is...Ferrum." Damn, my voice is still a bit shaky. At least the name sounds alright when I say it out loud...and how long did I pause for?

"Ferrum. That's a weird name," she replies. 

Saw that coming. "Yeah, it uh...means "iron" in my native language. I'm not from here."

"That'd explain why I've never seen you around before."

Good, she bought it. That worked out nicely. My mind a bit less disoriented from seeing...well, a lot of things, all of which had induced surprise and shock, I form a question that seems pretty important.

"So...what happened? To me?" I glance back at my right wing for emphasis.

"Oh, man, it was crazy! So I was about to leave for my weather duty this afternoon, and I walk out the door and see you smash, headfirst, right onto my front yard-thing. Your wing took most of the first hit, and then you rolled for a while, then smacked your head outside my house, like, right beside me. Even I thought that was a pretty hard landing, and I've had a lot of those. I gotta say, though, it looked pretty awesome."

I had been hoping she had seen exactly where I had come from, fallen from. Maybe a portal, a rip in time and space itself, something. Well, even though I couldn't fly, at least I could fall with style. I smile to myself at this thought and at the reference to a movie that seemed distant in my past now.


Dash's mention of my crash reminds me of another question. "So, did you patch me up?" I ask her.

She raises her foreleg and glances downward, rubbing the back of her neck and giving an embarrassed laugh. "Hah, yeah, I did. I kinda freaked out, y'know, pony crashing in front of my house and all. I had some medical tape that I usually use for when I sprain stuff, so I figured it couldn't hurt. I brought you inside and put you on the bed, but I had to leave for work."

"Well...thanks. I appreciate it." I give a small smile to show that I am grateful for her efforts.

"Yeah, it's no big deal. Kinda like wrapping a Hearth's Warming Eve present, haha."

Though my mind automatically translates that to "Christmas", I understand the joke, and laugh a bit.

Rainbow Dash continues the conversation, asking, "So what happened? Why'd you fall and crash like that?"

Oh, shit. My head throbs a bit, conveniently giving me an answer (and some pain to go with it). "I don't really remember...I think I might have a concussion or something from that hit I took on the head."

"Oh, okay. Oh, yeah, and you'll be fine in a few days, trust me. I've had plenty of injuries, haha."

"That fast?" I say it before I can catch myself. I remember that ponies heal in an amazingly short period of time in My Little Pony. Did they heal faster than humans on Earth, too? Maybe, I wasn't for sure. "Oh, yeah, me too," I continue in an attempt to salvage my slip-up.

Her smile fades a bit, showing some concentration, and she suddenly scans me up and down with a critical eye. After a few seconds, she notices something that appears to be behind me, judging by her eyes.

"Your cutie mark, what is it of? What's it mean?"

My cutie mark? I turn my head to the left, glancing under my still-outstretched left wing. I see a small picture on the upper part of my rear leg. How did I not notice that before? I recall looking in the mirror. I was still half in the doorway, I suppose, and the darkness of my coat's color combined with the darkness of the actual mark itself must have made me miss it. I squint at it a bit in an attempt to focus the picture more.

I see a very simple picture, one of what is clearly an anvil, a dark steel color, with a hammer above it, with has a stone-gray head and a brown handle. It is fully obvious to me as to what it is for: blacksmithing. I revel momentarily in my correct guess of my profession. As a admire the small picture on my left flank, I nearly unconsciously say, "Blacksmithing."

"What?"

"You know, blacksmithing; I am a blacksmith. I make..." I can't say weapons, swords, knives, that sort of thing, because I am unsure if they exist in Equestria. It is a peaceful place, but there do exist some nasty beings. Running isn't everypony's only option, right? I decide to not mention them anyways. What would a pony blacksmith make, though? "...horseshoes! And metal parts for saddles. And other metal things, like signs, or carriage parts, or train parts, things like that."

"Ahh, alright. I think Ponyville has one of those, a few blocks over from Sugarcube Corner."

"Oh, where Pinkie Pie works, right?"

Dash's look of recognition turns into a slight frown. Her brow creases ever so slightly. "How do you know Pinkie Pie if you aren't from here?"

Shit...that was a bad slip-up. Clever girl... "Uhh, word gets around that her parties are the  best in all of Equestria." I slightly smile, hoping I'm not as bad a liar as Applejack.

She continues to stare at me for a second, as if determining whether I can be trusted or not. It's a good thing I can't sweat because of my newly acquired layer of fur. I stare back at her as confidently as I can. Her magenta eyes are extremely intimidating, and it's hard not to break away. Finally, her gaze lightens. "Yeah, her parties are definitely the coolest!"

I internally heave a sigh of relief. Too close.

Her face lights up again. "Speaking of pie, you hungry?"

As if on cue, my stomach makes a gurgling noise. I glance down in its direction and frown.

"No, I should probably get going...I don't want to mooch off of you, y'know?"

Rainbow Dash stares at me with a blank look. She glances to my right side, then looks back at my eyes. She smiles.

"Did you forget that you have a broken wing and are on a cloud, a few hundred feet from the ground and from another cloud?"

I bring my right foreleg up and smack myself between my eyes. God, I feel stupid. However, my question as to what the material composing the rooms is has been answered.

She gives me an amused look and begins laughing. Her laugh is as scratchy as her voice, but is cute all the same. I admire her laugh for a bit, and can't help but join in. It feels nice to laugh after the way my day has went. 

Eventually we recover. "Come on, let's get something to eat," she says, and begins trotting towards the doorway that leads downstairs. I follow her down in a spiral, nearly tripping a few times from being angled downwards on stairs instead of standing up and stepping down them. We pass what I believe to be the second floor, being that there were no stairs leading upward on the floor I was just on, making it the top floor. I can see furniture inside the second floor, but my hunger for food is greater than my hunger for exploration.

We reach the ground floor (ground floor? On a cloud?). I scan the room. It is obvious that this room is a kitchen. Its dimensions are nearly identical to those of the third floor, leading me to assume that the cloud house is shaped like a tower. Cloud cabinets and counters line the walls to my left and front. On my right is a wall with a door centered on it. It obviously leads outside. There are multiple windows in the room, letting in a good amount of natural light. From the orange-yellow glow in the white room, it is probably going to be dusk soon. It's probably about 6 P.M., dinner time for most. 

A low-sitting cloud table, only rising a foot, maybe two ,off the ground, is centered in the kitchen/dining room. There are no chairs; it registers with me a second after making this observation that ponies do not sit like humans, so chairs would be either nonexistent or of an odd design. Silly me.

I decide to take a seat...or rather just sit down at the table. I remembered how ponies had sat on the show. Was that comfortable? I fall back on to my rump, splay my back legs a bit, then place my forelegs in between them, propping myself up. Not bad. Easier than sitting cross-legged.Again, I see that I appear to be slightly taller than the average pony, for the table is a bit far out of my head's reach. I frown slightly.

"What do you like on your sandwich? I have some hay, roses, tulips, dandelions, and daisies...looks like I'm out of apples, I'll have to grab some later..."

My frown deepens. None of those really sound appetizing. I suppose ponies are herbivores, though, so I'll have to get used to this...I look up at Rainbow Dash. "Uhhm...surprise me?"

I half expect Pinkie Pie to come out of nowhere and yell, "SURPRISE!" I tighten my jaw in anticipation, but it doesn't come. Whew. As I exit this train of thought, I find that I have zoned out. I blink to refocus my eyes. I have been staring at the flank of a certain cyan blue pegasus who is making sandwiches filled with flowers. Now that I look at it, I see that it shows signs of toning. I can see traces of lean muscle. It looks so powerful, yet so elega--

Christ, man, what the fuck?!

I quickly tear my eyes away and stare back down at the table. It seems much more interesting now. I feel heat rising in my cheeks. What the hell is wrong with me? I'm not like that, damn it! My mind's contradictory half decides to pop in, as usual. Well, I am a pony, shouldn't I be interested in ponies now? It wouldn't make sense to be interested in humans. A retort from the opposing party. But my mind still feels human, even if I am a pony... I feel confusion. I push the thoughts away and just hope she did not notice.

I look up as I hear a clatter of plates. Dash turns towards the table, two plates with sandwiches on them stacked on top one another. My eyes follow them as she sets them down on the table. I look back up and see her sit down.

"Thanks," I say.

"Yep!" she cheerfully replies. "Hope you like it. I threw a bit of everything on there."

I look down at my plate. I see the top of what appears to be homemade bread; wait, do ponies have packaged bread? Probably not; I assume that it is mass-produced, but it still created using medieval processes. I can see that Rainbow was true to her word; I can see that the sandwich is mainly composed of hay, but rose petals, tulip buds, daisies, and yellow dandelions peek out around the edges of the bread pieces. It's a colorful sandwich, I'll give it that. I raise my forelegs off the soft cloud floor and place my hooves on either side of the sandwich.

I attempt to grip the sandwich. Oh, wait... I frown. Maybe if I...? I move my hooves in towards the sandwich. All it does is make the sandwich bunch up. I try lifting the sandwich, but it caves downward and flops back onto the plate that sits in front of me. My brow creases and I draw up my lips. Last resort. I lean downward towards the plate, craning down to reach the sandwich. I open my mouth, about to bite into the sandwich, when it occurs to me that I am in the presence of company.

I glance up, mouth still poised to bite. Rainbow Dash is sitting opposite me, staring at me, a grin on her face, her sandwich untouched. I close my mouth, feeling like an idiot for the second time today. I pull my head back up, re-entering a proper pony sitting position. She has followed my eyes the whole way.

She bursts into laughter. I smile at the thought of how ridiculous I must have looked. She nearly falls over backwards, and her face goes serious as she struggles a bit before regaining balance. We stare at each other, grinning like idiots. We both begin laughing. I don't even know why we're laughing so hard. I do know that it feels good to do so. By the time we are done laughing, the side of my stomach and my head hurt.

She leans down and chomps at her sandwich, as I was about to. I do the same. The sandwich is quite tasty, actually. Flowers do not taste at all like they smell, but are delicious nonetheless, at least for a pony. The bread also tastes fresh, confirming my earlier speculations on pony bread production. I am about halfway done with my sandwich when Rainbow pipes up in her scratchy voice.

"Y'know, Ferrum," she says before swallowing a bite of sandwich. "You're a pretty weird pony."

Not really knowing how to respond, I reply, "As to you, Miss Dash," in my best British accent (which I suppose would be a Canterlot accent in this world).

"You're really tall, too," she states, as if just noticing how far I actually have to reach down to bite my sandwich.

"Or maybe you're just really short," I say, grinning playfully.

She feigns offense, bringing a forehoof to her chest and raising her chin, scoffing. She grins back a second later, and we resume finishing the sandwiches. When I finish, I grab my empty plate between my teeth and stand up. I trot over to the counter tops, searching for a sink. It's hard to spot because everything is white and made of clouds. I drop my plate into what looks like a sink, expecting a loud clang, but instead receiving a small whump. I look up from the sink and see out of the window above it that the sun is setting.

I turn around and spot Rainbow Dash. "Hey, Rainbow Dash, thanks again. For the meal, this..." I gesture at my bandaged wing. "...everything," I continue. 

She blushes and looks down. "Heh, don't mention it. Town hero 'n all, y'know?"

"Haha, yeah. Well, I think I'm going to get some rest. It's been a long day for me."

She looks up. "You want the bed? I can grab the couch, if you want."

"No, take the bed," I reply. "This entire house feels like a bed, to be honest." As if to reinforce this statement, I hop up and down a bit on the cloud floor of the kitchen. It's like jumping on one of foam beds.

"Alright, if you say so. See you tomorrow!" She smiles.

I return the smile, trotting towards the stairs. "G' night," I reply, and I make my way up the stairs.

I enter the second floor, what I presumed to be a living room. I look around as I come out of the spiraling stairwell.

My hunch is correct, as I spot a few couches at the back of the room. There is one sitting against the wall opposite me, a full size couch made of clouds. It appears large enough to fit about three or four sitting ponies. At ninety degree angles and closer to me are smaller cloud couches, sometimes called "love seats"; they appear to hold two ponies a piece. In the center of this trio of couches sits a cloud table similar to the one in the kitchen/dining room. Windows positioned in the exact same places as in the other rooms are present in this one, also. The only other thing that fills the room is some...weight equipment? How is that even...with the metal and...clouds...and...I push the thought away, worried I might be delving too far into this world's physics.

The weight equipment is fairly simple, just some dumbbells lying about and a bench press. There's also what looks like a simple treadmill, just a long rectangle of metal with a tread around it; it seems the user generates their own desired speed instead of having electronics do it for them. I turn away from the weight equipment, looking back towards the group of cloud couches. They look ridiculously comfortable; I decide to see if they truly are. I trot over to the largest couch, the one at the far back of the living room. I clamber up it and think about how to best lay down without laying on my still-painful wing. I circle around on the couch a bit, like a dog would, then lie down on my left side, resting my head on the arm of the couch and stretching my legs outwards. 

I think my mind is too worn out from the day's events to be overactive at this point. I close my eyes and await the void of sleep.
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I see something out of my apartment window; it is getting larger by the second and is burning brightly.

People are screaming, panicking, running in an attempt to save themselves from this monstrosity hurtling right towards them, towards me. Panic fills my own brain. I feel confused, scared, angry, sad.

The screams and shouts get louder. They are more pained now; the people are suffering. I can see them clutching at their stomachs, their faces, stumbling and falling to the ground, being cooked alive. The heat is becoming too intense, the light from the flaming object is too great for me to continue staring in horror out the window.

I turn and look around. I find no means to save myself, and give up. My eyes have stopped scanning, and have fallen upon something that now comes into my focus.

It is a replica, a simple toy, of a light blue winged pony, a pegasus, with a rainbow colored mane, who I know is Rainbow Dash. I smile upon seeing it.

Darkness.

***

I jolt forward and my eyes snap open. I realize I am about to fall off the couch I am sleeping on and throw out my right arm to the floor to steady myself. I look over at the arm, and realize it is not an arm, not mine, not anyone's. It is a foreleg, a black one. I can see it perfectly, and no glasses sit in front of my eyes.

I push off the floor with my foreleg, rolling back up on to the couch. I am about to roll on to my back, but something behind me smacks the couch, and a sting of pain hits my back. I carefully lay on my left side. I glance back and to my right; there is a bandaged object there. I remember that it is a wing, that I have wings now, and four legs, all covered iin black fur, like the rest of me, because I am a pony, a pegasus, in the magical and once-fictional land of Equestria. At least, it has become a reality for me.

It has to be my reality, now. Doesn't it? Yes. I never have a dream within a dream, let alone multiple within one. And the pain I was in yesterday sure felt real. Speaking of pain...I pause momentarily, holding my breath and listening. I can hear my heart softly thumping, two consecutive beats, a pause, a repeat. But, with each thump, I feel no pain in my head from the fine little concussion I had received yesterday. Rainbow Dash was right, ponies do heal fast...I glance back and to my right again, looking at my wing, and attempt to flex it or something. I can't really find the right muscle to do it, though. I decide another method would be suitable, and inhale deeply, preparing for a wave of pain.

I intentionally roll towards my right side, pressing my injured wing into the fluffy couch. I feel pain, but not to the extent of the previous day. My wing felt like it definitely needed the makeshift cast a bit longer, maybe for just today, but I could at least move around without pain erupting from my back. Good enough. I decide it's time to get up.

I roll left, off of the couch. I don't feel a crick in my neck like I usually do after sleeping on a couch; then again, this couch was more comfortable than most beds. I lift up a foreleg and run it against the couch. It is amazingly soft, like ten thousand thread count sheets; I don't think they even make a thread count that high. I glance around the room, the living room. I wonder where Rainbow Dash is...?

I glance down at the table, finding an answer to my question. There is a piece of white paper on the cloud table. It has some writing on it, and I lean down to read it. The writing is odd; it is somewhat jagged in form, scratchy, yet is neatly written, giving it a sense of elegance. It's like a cooler version of cursive; I'm pretty sure of who's hand...err, mouth-writing it is. The note reads: 

Gone to work, let you sleep. Help yourself.

-Dash

That's right, she has a job as head weatherpony of Ponyville. I wonder if ponies maintain a set work schedule for most jobs, like humans. Did 40 hour shifts exist in Equestria? I supposed that I'd have to find out sometime if I were to become a functioning member of society here."Help yourself"? What does she mean by that? To food, her house? I am unsure; however, both food and exploration sound like a good idea right now...in that order.

I pick up the note with my mouth, and walk around the table. I get to the stairs and make my way down into the kitchen. I look around and spot a trash can on the end of a row of counters and drop the note in. Don't have pockets or anything, otherwise I'd keep it. I frown, thinking of clothes. I didn't really feel naked, actually, though I technically was. Maybe it was the fur. 

I look around the kitchen, searching for..what? A refrigerator? No, it would be an icebox. No electricity, remember? I do spot an icebox, at the other end of the row of counters. I walk over to it; it has a lid on top. I place a hoof on the small handle (made of clouds, as the icebox is)--wait...damn it. I remove my hoof, somewhat glad Rainbow Dash didn't see my odd mistake, and instead bend my neck down. I grip the handle in my jaws and lift up the lid, then peer inside.

There are only two types of items in the icebox: apples and carrots. There are actually a few types of apples, some Red Delicious and Granny Smiths by the looks of it. I decide to grab myself a red apple and a carrot. I note the foods have the odd cartoon-istic appearance that the rest of this world does; a bite into the apple confirms that they taste no different, if not more tasty than actual apples. I can see why Applejack has a thing for these.

I devour the rest of the apple,  save for the core, then the carrot. I still feel a bit empty, though. Not wanting to deplete Rainbow's apple and carrot supplies too badly, I look around for another source of food. I look up at the cloud-made cabinets above the counters.

I recall Rainbow Dash having to hover a foot or two off the ground to be able to reach the cabinet doors; I find myself being able to reach them by standing on my legs and placing my forelegs on the counter tops to steady myself. I open one cabinet door with my teeth; inside are plates and bowls. I nudge the door shut with my nose, and hop myself over to the next cabinet.  Inside this one are some sandwich supplies; various flowers and a good amount of hay. I move on, seeing if other options exist. The next cabinet holds a few small loaves of bread. Can't have any toast, damn. I reach the last cabinet above this row of counters. I open the door, and am greeted with...cupcakes? No, they're...muffins. There's at least a dozen here. I debate on taking one, wondering if she will mind my doing so. I decide to risk the consequences and grab a muffin in my mouth.

I can already taste it, but shut the cabinet door and return my front legs to the floor before taking a bite out of it. It has blueberries embedded in it; they taste perfectly ripe and fresh. I wonder who made the muffins. I know it was not Dash, she is a notoriously bad cook, at least on the show and in fiction. Probably Cupcake Corner. I assume they are a general-purpose bakery that specializes in desserts. Or maybe it's just Pinkie Pie that specializes in desserts. I have no clue. I do know that the muffin is delicious, though. 

Now I feel full, full of some pretty damn tasty food for being all vegetarian. It's time to take a closer look around at my temporary residence. I've basically seen all the kitchen has to offer, and the living room seems fairly empty. All that left was Rainbow's room. Should I really explore her room? Wouldn't that be a violation of her privacy or something? I decide I won't snoop too much, and if I come across anything really personal, say, a journal, I'll leave it be.

I begin trotting up the stairs, out of the kitchen, past the living room, into the top floor of this tower-style cloud house. I enter the bedroom and decide to go through the door to my left, into the house's bathroom. When I enter the bathroom, I begin wondering about pony hygiene. Do ponies brush their teeth? A glance over to the double sink points to "no", as I see no sign of a toothbrush or toothpaste. I suppose Colgate is more of like a surgeon or a doctor then. Gives the ponies a check-up on their teeth every so often and fixes them if needed. Maybe ponies have bacteria in their mouths that keep them relatively clean, like dogs do. Moving on. I look over at the bathtub. I suppose that a shower or bath wouldn't be necessary on a regular basis, since ponies didn't sweat. I look closer at the bathtub. How do you even work this thing? I shrug the thought away, turning around and exiting the bathroom now that I do not have a purpose there at this point. 

I look around the bedroom. It's actually fairly empty; just the doors, a few posters, a dresser, a bed, and the bedside tables. I eye the bedside tables and decide to save them for last. I trot over to the closet. It's still half-opened, and I peer inside. The two multicolored dresses are still present from when I saw them earlier. They are, in fact, the only things in the closet; I know that Rainbow Dash is not a dressy kind of pony. I recognize both dresses as being those designed and created by Rarity; I know one was for one of the Grand Galloping Galas the Mane Six went to at one point in the show, and I don't remember where the other dress was used. I hadn't re-watched episodes of MLP:FiM very often, and the only ones that I did were directly related to Rainbow Dash or were generally excellent episodes, so it could be hard to remember some of the adventures of the six ponies.

I turn away from the closet and look at the dresser, which is now directly in front of me. Yesterday, something had caught my eye. It was...yes, the stockings, rainbow colored, partially hanging out of the middle drawer. I find it odd that a pony would wear socks when they normally don't wear anything at all. I lift a foreleg and wedge the drawer open a bit farther, my curiosity piqued. Inside the drawer is three other socks, which match the one hanging out of the drawer, a rainbow colored scarf, and a pair of dark black sunglasses. I attempt to pick up the sunglasses with a hoof. My hoof touches them, but nothing happens. What, was I expecting myself to be magnetic? Still, I try again. And again, the glasses do not respond to my hoof's shoves. How in the hell could they do that? I annoyed and close the drawer with the foreleg.

I turn my attention to the bedside tables, the only things I have not looked at more thoroughly. I trot over to the one on the right side of the bed, stacked to the verge of falling with various books. I am tempted to nab one of the books and start reading, but really do not want to have to  pick up and re-stack twenty-plus books...all with my mouth. Instead, I walk around the bed to the other bedside table. I look at the picture frame that sits behind the book, which also sits on the small table. I recognize the picture: it is the cover picture for My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. In the center of the group sits Twilight Sparkle. Around her sit Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. In front of her lays Fluttershy, and behind her, flying, is Rainbow Dash, a competitive grin on her face. I smile with recognition at the picture that began every episode of my most favorite television show. 

I think back to the dream I had last night. No, the memory that I re-lived. As I had told myself earlier, dreams don't bring that much pain, don't feel so real, and don't often happen within each other; at least, not for me. I think of my family; I can still remember them, though I don't want to. All their memory brings is a feeling of sadness, emptiness. I realize how much I miss them, and that I probably won't see them again.

I try to find a positive aspect. At least...I'm here. I still exist, and I exist in a world that seems nearly perfect. I decide that's more than enough reason not to feel sorry for myself, and shake my head to clear my thoughts. I find it odd how I can twist my neck and spin my head back and forth. I can feel my mane hitting the sides of my neck every time I spin my head to the other side, and the wind it creates from the whipping action.

The wind makes me want to go outside. I promise myself I'll go outside as soon as I finish exploring. Now...where was I, again? I glance down, seeing the book beneath the picture frame. I nudge it to the edge of the table with a hoof, and grasp it in my mouth. I lay the book on the bed, deciding I'll see if I like this author's style of writing. I peer along the pages of the book, looking for a place to start. I see the telltale sign of a dog-eared page; I smile a little at the thought that I do the same thing with books. Bookmarks are for squares.

I have some trouble opening the book. I eventually find that I can use the friction between my hooves and the edges of the paper to open the book, and do so, pinning the pages down with my forelegs. I read a few lines from the page Rainbow Dash had paused on.

Daring Do looked down the long, wide hallway made of ancient stone. It looked clear the entire way to the pedestal at the end of the hallway, on top of which she could see her goal; the Crystal Pelvis. However, Do knew that the hallway was most certainly trap-filled. The ancient keepers of the Pelvis had loved their traps.

But how would she know where the traps lay? She peered at walls. In a few sections of the tunnel, she could see slits in the ceiling, holes in the walls; poison darts and swinging axes were definitely in her near future. There had to be other traps, though.

Daring Do brought a hoof to her head in thought, tapping the top of it. That gave her just the idea she needed. She looked up and pulled off her hat with one hoof. Tucking it in to her foreleg, she threw out her arm, releasing her hat and flinging it through the hallway like a frisbee.

The hat spun and spun, keeping it afloat as it shot threw the hallway. As it did, it triggered trap after trap. The first trap spewed fire at the hat from vents in the floor, the next sending poison darts rocketing towards it, the trap after that sending spikes from the wall out. The hat hovered through swinging axe blades, another round of poison darts, a drop into an endless pit, and finally over a small pit full of hungry crocodiles before coming to a rest at the base of the pedestal.

All of the traps stopped at once, returning inside the walls of the stone hallway, leaving it quiet once again.

Do took a deep breath, grinned, and started running towards the pedestal.

She began remembering each of the traps as they came, nimbly avoiding them just in time. The flames erupted from the floor, singing her tail as she leaped over them. The poison-tipped darts flew just over her head as she slid under them. She leaped past the spikes emerging from the wall, dodged the swinging axes, sped past more poison darts, jumped over the pit, landing with a roll and leaping over the still-hungry crocodiles. Do picked up her hat, put it on, and looked up to the Crystal.

She reached up, grabbing the Crystal Pelvis in her teeth; only then did she realize her mistake. A stone pressure pad on top of the pedestal lifted up, and she heard the grinding of stone against stone. She looked up to see a giant boulder, rolling towards her through the traps.

Daring Do ran away from the boulder as fast as she could, past the pedestal and into another tunnel. The boulder seemed to be getting closer and closer, and she tried to go faster. It would have been easier had she had both her wings functioning. She ran and ran, and just as she was about to collapse from exhaustion, she emerged from the temple. The boulder smashed into the doorway behind her, sealing the exit for good. She breathed a sigh of relief, still clutching the Crystal Pelvis in her teeth.

I close the book, careful to leave the dog-ear in its place. Not bad. I would have to finish reading that later. Right now, I wanted to go outside. I trot down the flight of stairs, thinking it would be nice to be able to fly out of one of the bedroom windows instead of having to walk out the front door.

And speaking of flying...I have no idea how. A pegasus with no idea how to fly? How am I going to explain that? I'll cross that bridge when I get to it, I suppose...

I enter the kitchen and head towards the door. It appears to just be a swivel-style door, and I push it open with my nose. It makes sense; ponies don't have hands, and they're called "handles" for a reason. Door knobs were out of the question, too.

I walk outside. It's not much different from inside, save for the lighting difference. I am still walking on clouds, so the texture under my hooves doesn't change. It's also the same air as the inside of the house, being that the house's windows are all open, letting the air circulate. Yes, the lighting is the biggest change. And I can see a bit of scenery now, too. I look upward, towards the sun, regretting it a second later. There are spots in my eyes that are sun shaped. I suppose a cartoon sun is just as bright as a normal, ten thousand degree sun made of helium and hydrogen. I blink a few times, clearing my eyes. I walk a bit farther out on the cloud base, telling myself not to go too far, otherwise I'll fall off. I turn around to look at Rainbow dash's house from the outside.

It is indeed a tower-based home, with three stories. On the outside, I can see there is a domed roof on top. There are pillar formations holding up a shade above the front entrance; it gives the house a Greek appearance when combined with the domed roof and tower design. Around the house are small pools filled with...rainbows? I walk around the side of the house, deciding to investigate. I approach a pool of rainbow. Its source appears to be a rainbow-fall streaming out of the midsection of the house. There are a few other rainbow-falls coming out of random places of the house's exterior and leading into pools of their own. I lean down and look at the rainbow pool I stand at. Wait, isn't there a certain way to see if these are really rainbows?

I remember Pinkie Pie tasting a rainbow and commenting on its spiciness. Well, I am a big fan of hot sauce...I carefully lean my right foreleg out and dip a hoof in the multicolored pool. I raise my hoof. The mass of color looks odd surrounded by the black of my leg. I lick the rainbow-sauce off of my hoof. It has the texture of most hot sauces, thick enough to remain in your mouth but not thick enough to stick there. I wait for a second and feel a burn at the back of my throat and on the sides of my tongue. It's actually a really delicious flavor and a nice feeling. Like a medium-hotness hot sauce; not hot enough to make your eyes water and nose run, but hot enough to satisfy you. I am tempted to eat some more, but consider possible health issues and costliness of rainbow production and decide to look around some more. 

I move to the edge of the cloud base again, going prone on my stomach. It makes me feel less like I'm going to fall off the edge. I inch myself over the edge until I can peer down. A short ways off horizontally, but a long way down, I spot Ponyville. I can see ponies going about their daily business within the town. The whole town, the whole ground, in fact, is coated in a layer of pristine white snow. It's winter? I didn't even notice...I suppose that my new-found fur would prevent that. I continue to look around at the white town, speckled with moving dots of color. It's actually a bigger town than I thought. No Canterlot of course, but a decent size for a town. It reminds me of my old town. I shove the thought away and push myself back onto the main part of the cloud.

I look up this time. I can see Canterlot a ways away, a small, mottled image in the distance. Continuing to look around, I spot Cloudsdale also. Or more, the bottom of Cloudsdale. It seems to be about the same distance away as Ponyville is. I draw the conclusion that Rainbow Dash is equally distant from both, at the midpoint between the two; I wonder if this was intentional, to show her loyalty to both or something like that.

There isn't much else I can see. I do spot the Everfree forest in the distance. It has an ominous appearance, even with snow on the tops of the pine trees. Darker clouds hang over it in an unrefined way. It gives me the creeps. I turn away, and note that there are very few clouds left above Ponyville and the surrounding area. Wouldn't that mean...?

As if intentionally coordinating herself to my thoughts, I see Rainbow Dash fly out of seemingly nowhere and buck the last remaining cloud in the sky with her back legs. I grin, feeling like a dog waiting for its master to return home; except I'm a pony waiting for the most awesome pony in Equestria. She calls downward, probably letting her co-workers know she has finished her shift for the day. She then turns, looking in my direction. She must have spotted me standing outside (it wouldn't be hard, even at a distance--matte black stands out fairly well on cloud white), for she begins flying unusually fast towards me.

In fact, faster than unusually fast. I can see the streak of color her tail and mane creates when flying thickening in hue. As she nears, I see she has that competitive look on her face. Dash streaks towards me, likely clocking in at a half-Mach. I instinctively duck as she nears, and feel her fly a foot over my head. A whoosh of air hits me a second later. I stand back up and look to where she flew to. She does a few corkscrews, somersaults, back flips, and other tricks I really don't know the proper name of; they look cool as hell, though. After about a minute of showing off, she shoots straight up.

I watch her fly higher and higher. It becomes impossible to do so after twenty seconds. I squint, attempting to search for where she has disappeared to. Her cyan coat is acting against me, being that the daytime sky is the exact same color. I attempt to squint harder, nearly closing my eyes, but I still can't--

"Hey!"

"Gah!" I yell in surprise. I stumble forwards trip over my own bewildered legs, faceplanting cleanly into the cloud. It's like landing in a pile of kittens, minus the teeth and claws.

I hear Rainbow Dash's laugh behind me and realize what she has done. I probably should have expected it. I push off of the cushion-y ground and right myself. I turn around and find Rainbow rolling on the ground, laughing at her accomplishment and my reaction.

"That was pretty good," I tell her, grinning with amusement of my own.

Her laughter slows into a sigh. "Thanks, I thought so too." 

I hold out a hoof, and she grips it with hers; I help pull her onto her hooves. We begin walking back towards her cloud tower.

"So how did your day go?" I ask, out of both politeness and some genuine curiosity.

"Ehh, pretty easy. We didn't have anything to prepare for, storms or anything. We'll be preparing for the Winter Wrap-Up here soon, though." 

"When's that?" I ask, for no apparent reason.

"I think it's at the end of February. We're about two months away."

Even though this is a simple comment, I am taken slightly aback. So, ponies use the same system of time measurement as humans. I decide to confirm it. "And today is December...?"

"Uhh...twenty-third. Yeah, today's December twenty-third."

"Thanks," I say, my hunch proven correct.

"Mm-hmm," she replies before continuing, "Oh, how are you doing? Your wing and stuff."

"Actually, I'm feeling a lot better. My headache is gone and my wing's hurting a lot less. I think it might actually heal by tomorrow..."

"I can tell you're ready to get back to flying. I know how it feels, and it's definitely not awesome not being able to fly. Could you imagine being an earth pony?"

"Ye-haha, no way." I know I've nearly slipped up, again. The fact that I have no clue how to fly or use wings pops into my head, a reminder I have no desire to hear. I'm going to have to tell her sometime...

I could swear she gives me that critical look, like she's analyzing someone's trustworthiness, but when I look up at her, hovering beside me, she is smiling and looking towards her house, which we are nearly at.

"Well, you're still hurt, so you're gonna have to stay with me another night."

"Shucks," I reply, smiling at her.

She returns it. "You hungry, Ferrum?"

I suppose I am. I was too busy exploring to have lunch...or maybe my breakfast was lunch? I ought to have found a clock in her house. Either way, I'm hungry now. "Yes I am."

We walk into her kitchen. She walks over to the cabinets, opens one, and states, "So I'm guessing you noticed I got some food, right?"

I can feel heat rising in my face with some guilt. "Heh, yeah..."

Rainbow Dash turns and smiles at me. "Don't worry, you were supposed to eat stuff. Here, grab a muffin."

I walk over to the cabinet and snatch a muffin from it with my teeth. "Hanksh."

"Mm-hmmph," she replies, some plates in her own jaws.

We sit down at the short cloud table and eat the muffins for dinner. My muffin is strawberry filled, and is just as tasty as my earlier blueberry muffin. After eating and cleaning up the dishes, I ask her about her job as a weatherpony for Ponyville. We eventually come to the topic of the Wonderbolts and her desire to one day join them. I choose my words carefully to avoid hinting I know more than what I say, noting the posters in her bedroom, things like that. She seems to really admire them, which as a brony I already know quite well. But, I stand in the kitchen and listen to her anyways, Just enjoying the fact I'm able to be standing and listening to my favorite pony.

Eventually, I think she talks her voice hoarser than it already is.

"Well, hay," Dash says. "I think I'm going to hit the sack. We'll see how your wing is doing tomorrow when I finish my shift, 'kay?"

I chuckle. "Alright, see you tomorrow, Rainbow."

"Night, Ferrum."

I smile and follow her up the stairs, exiting on the second floor. I trot over to the couch and plop down, right wing up, and close my eyes, still smiling.

	
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Birds are chirping merrily outside. I cannot hear them very well, but hear them nonetheless. The sound of a soft wind brushing against the cloud house interrupts them every so often. I take in a deep breath; the air feels crisp and slightly cold in my nose and throat as I inhale, but the rest of my body doesn't feel cold. I open my eyes a crack, and the late morning light let in through the windows slightly stings.

I blink a few times to clear my vision and adjust to the light. I begin leaning forward slowly, and then let gravity pull me off of the soft, soft couch. I land with a muffled whump upon all four of my legs simultaneously. Still not feeling very awake, I blink a bit more and bend my knees. I glance around my sleeping area, not seeing anything of interest, and trot around the table into a more open section of the living room.

I do not feel very well rested. I slept soundly, yes, but nightmares--no, memories, plagued my thoughts again. I relived the feeling of falling I had felt, that awful feeling of being unable to do anything but face my certain death as I plummeted towards the earth. I hope these don't become routine...

I decide to stretch some more before heading down to find some breakfast. Stretching feels kind of odd to me. I usually hold my breath for some reason, and when I stretch, my hearing starts ringing. They aren't bad sensations at all; combined with the feeling of loosening up stiff muscles, it feels pretty relaxing. I tense up and stretch my forelegs, then my legs. I twist my neck left and right, and feel a relieving pop. I attempt to tense up my back, but instead feel an odd stretching on my left back and a straining of muscle on the right. I glance behind me, to my left.

I see a fully outstretched matte black wing. All of the feathers seem to be spread apart, making the wing look enormous. I stop tensing up my back--or more, my shoulder blades, and see that the feathers return to their normal layering as the wing begins to lower and collapse in size. I then turn my head to my right side.

My right wing is still bandaged. I tense up my shoulder blades again, slightly anticipating a wave of pain beginning in my wing. However, no pain comes. All I feel is my wing straining to be free. How could it have possibly healed so fast...? I don't feel any pain coming from it, yet feel its presence and feel it flexing; I decide this is a good sign. I cease tensing up my shoulders and feel the pressure radiating from my right wing halt as well. Thinking over a decision in my mind for a few seconds, I begin trotting towards the staircase. Though my stomach doesn't seem to agree, I begin plodding up the spiral of stairs instead of down.

I reach Rainbow Dash's room in her cloud tower, the third and top floor. I turn to my left, heading for the only bathroom and mirror in the house. I push open the handle-less door with my nose and trot into the bathroom. I stand in front of the mirror, gazing at it. A black stallion with blue-gray eyes and a mane composed of two shades of gray stares back at me. I rotate my body a little so that more of my right side is facing the mirror. I look away from the mirror and at the wing covered in medical tape to my right.

I crane my neck towards the wing, and once I get close enough, I grab a strip of the bandages that sits atop the rest with my teeth. I slowly begin pulling my head away from the wing, bandages in my teeth. When the bandage is stretched out by about a foot, I lightly shake my head, trying to sever the strip of bandage in my jaws. It doesn't work very well, so I begin gnawing at the bandage. I find that ponies' herbivore-based teeth separate cloth fairly well. I begin to gnaw and pull at the bandage more aggressively, and eventually I hear a snap as one side slingshots harmlessly away, falling to rest under my wing. I release the other side of the bandage, and move my head in again.

I repeat this with layer after layer of white medical tape, splitting the strips through repeated biting and pulling. After around three minutes of doing this, I reach the final strip of white on my black wing. Rainbow Dash had certainly wrapped up my wing tight; she might not have made it as a surgeon, but she would have been an excellent field medic. Tired of meticulous abuse of stretchy bandage, I yank the last strip away from my wing with some force, and it tears off easily. It falls to the floor, following in the footsteps of the many other bandages that coated my right wing.

I look at the un-bandaged wing. The feathers look ruffled and out of place, but I can see no signs of injury. No bones, no blood, no deformed sections of the wing from broken bones or incorrect healing. I tense my shoulder blades up again, and the wing extends to its full length, the ruffled feathers spreading out with the others. I look in the mirror, still tense, and see that my left wing is fully extended and raised as well, mirroring the right wing perfectly. I suppose that pegasus wings are supposed to work in unison, instead of being able to be controlled separately. I can still make minor adjustments to each wing as they are tense, by further tensing or slightly relaxing one side of my upper back. My back is starting to hurt from being tense, and I relax. The two black wings contract and begin falling into place, eventually clasping themselves against my sides, folded.

I feel much more balanced now; not to mention, much more free. I can't even feel any pain from the wing any more; it seems to have fully healed. I attempt to imagine what it would be like to have those bandages or a cast on one of my wings again, and nearly shudder from discomfort from the thought. I turn down towards the pile of useless medical tape. I use my forelegs to push it into a tighter pile, and pick up the pile in my mouth. I trot out the door and head down to the first story, where I re-locate the trash can and dump the bandages in. I feel some guilt for not finding a more sanitary place to dispose of them, but a second glance at them shows that they appear to be pristine, like they had never made contact with my injury.

I feel...lighter. In both the physical and mental sense. I decide to have an apple for breakfast and grab one out of the small icebox. I set it down on the small table and sit down, leaning down to take a bite out of the apple every so often. The room, the house, is quiet, save for the sounds I heard upon waking and the sound of my own munching. It gives me some time to think.

About all I can think of right now is my right wing, and how much better it feels. It amazes me how fast injuries could heal in this world. I think back to Rainbow's comment on the speediness of pony recovery. She had said yesterday that she would see how my wing was doing today. I lean down and take a bite of apple, crunching on it for a while.

A thought clicks in my head. Since my wing is better now, I can fly away now, back to wherever I came from. But that was a problem, now wasn't it? Two problems, in fact, big problems. For one, I had no where to go. I was basically dumped on this world, on Rainbow Dash's doorstep. If worse came to worse, I could always find a cloud to drift on; I see why Dash lazes around on them a lot, they are mighty comfortable. Then there is the other problem, probably the larger of the two; my inability to fly.

A pegasus who can't fly. How pathetic.

No, I am being too hard on myself. There are others who can't fly, right? I know Scootaloo can't...but then again, she's just a filly, and her wings are too small to support flight. I seem to be a perfectly normal pegasus stallion. Save for the fact I have no clue how to fly. I go to take another bite of apple, but find that all that is left is the core. I pick up the core in my mouth and stand up, trotting over to the trash can and depositing the eaten apple.

I sit back down at the low cloud table. I rest my forelegs on top of it and stare out a window across from me.

I doubt I can learn to fly in a few hours. The only books Dash seemed to have on flying were those on more advanced techniques and the more technical aspects of flying; probably given to her by Twilight Sparkle. And there would be no Google-ing how to fly, either. I continue staring out the window, seeing only a blue sky framed by a cloud window.

What if she could teach me to fly?

My own thought takes me aback somewhat. She would never agree to that, would she? She would probably think I was joking, or just laugh at me. I didn't take her as that kind of pers--pony, but I couldn't be for sure. Flying was like breathing for pegasi. There couldn't be a pegasus who didn't know how to fly. And how would I explain how I had crash-landed at her house if I couldn't fly? You have to fly to land, right?

But what if there was a pegasus who forgot how to fly?

I ponder this for a minute, wondering if I'm asking "what if" too much. It could make sense. I seemed to have taken a pretty bad hit on the head when I landed...could I pass off having amnesia? That the hit to the head had eradicated my memory of something as basic as breathing? It seems unrealistic, even when I say it to myself. But who was to say she had ever encountered amnesia? Maybe she didn't know what it could make you forget? Amnesia could make people forget friends, family, memories...

Knowing how to fly required memories, though. Memories of instruction. So what if those were to disappear?

This sequence of thought leads me to another. Maybe I do know how to fly. Or at least, maybe my body knows how to fly. If that were true, wouldn't it mean I just needed a memory jog to be able to fly? That would produce the same results as curing amnesia, as if I really did forget how to fly. Wouldn't it?

I feel confused, unsure whether this could work or not. But what other choice do I have? I try to find one, to prove myself wrong, but I can't. I start to feel guilt already. Could I really lie to her like that?

Probably, yes.

I don't like it, not at all. I can't see another option, though. I set my mind to doing it, and that's that. I will tell her I have forgotten how to fly, explain my "theory" as to why, and hope for the best. I stand from the table and look away from the window, as if to finalize the idea within my head. 

***

I spend the rest of my afternoon stretching out my wings, attempting to move muscles in them and find a way to control them. The day is extremely nice, despite being a bit cold; that would be expected from a winter day, though. I am outside, still shifting my wings around in front of Rainbow Dash's house when she flaps down next to me, settling on the cloud lawn.

"Hey, your wing is looking awesome!" She says, noticing it immediately.

"It feels awesome, too. Now I know how you felt when--" I cut myself off, realizing I have said too much, again. Fucking damn it! I feel my mental outrage showing on my face, and quickly contort it into a poker face. I hope to God, Celestia, and every other high being out there she didn't realize where I was going with that. I have been looking towards my wing as I replied, and I turn to face her again. I can't tell if she wears a poker face or if she is patiently waiting for me to continue. "--yeah, uh...how was the weather today?" I finish, trying to keep my voice steady and normal.

She takes a second to respond, seeming to come out of a trance. "Oh! It was pretty boring, nothing really happened. We did have this one pony who almost made himself fall after he kicked at a cloud and missed. He threw himself off balance. It was pretty funny." Dash finishes with that "true story" kind of look.

"Ha, bet he was embarrassed."

"Oh yeah, he turned, like, bright red."

We go through her front door and trot into the kitchen/dining room. Rainbow walks over to the cabinets, as she did the two previous days, and begins opening them to survey her inventory of food. I trot aimlessly around the kitchen. Still rummaging through the fluffy cabinets, she asks:

"So now that your wing's all good, you plan on heading home? You can stay a while longer if you want, I don't really care. I don't get visitors too often, heh."

Now or never, I guess. "Uhh, actually, Rainbow Dash, I wanted to talk to you about that."

She turns from the cabinets to look at me and sets down on the floor, wings folding at her sides. "Yeah, what's up, Ferrum? You sure your wing's okay?"

"Oh yeah, like I said, it feels excellent. I want to thank you again for patching me up. Anyways...you know how I smacked my head pretty hard, thought I got a concussion?"

"Mmhmm."

"Well, I think when I did, it caused some amnesia." Good so far, almost there...

"Am-what now?"

"Amnesia...it's where you forget something important because of an accident or something. Like your family, or your friends, or who you are."

She gives me a puzzled look. "Alright, so what did you forget?"

I glance down, lifting a hoof and pawing at the cloud floor, not at all feigning my nervousness or embarrassment. "I think I've forgotten how to...to fly." There, it's out. Let's see what happens.

Dash's puzzled look changes into a blank one. She begins to smirk a little, and raises her eyebrows. "You're joking, right?"

I stare at her as seriously as I can, and shake my head from side to side. 

Her smirk disappears, replaced by a slight from, and her eyebrows remain raised. "But...how does..." She trails off, looking as if this is extremely hard to comprehend. It most likely is.

I decide to help the situation along as best I can. "Look, Rainbow Dash, I'm already in your debt. I don't want to ask you to help me again, but I don't know what to do." And I truly do not want to ask her, and truly do not know what to do. 

"You want me to teach you how to fly?" I can't read her facial expression. It's something like confusion, sympathy, friendliness, and a few other emotions mixed in.

"Yes." My voice is a lot deeper than normal at this point. My voice has a tendency to get deeper the more quietly I talk.

She stares at me, into me for what feels like hours. I can't tell if she is doing that thing where she seems to decide how trustworthy I am, or if she has just zoned out while thinking about her decision.

"Okay."

What? "What?" I repeat from my mind.

"I'll do it, I'll teach you to fly again."

"Why?" I hear myself ask. Why am I pushing it? Stop while you're ahead!

She looks at me somewhat somberly. "Well, Twilight tells me I need to be more...uhh...'em-path-ic'. She says I should put myself in someone else's horseshoes, and think what I would feel like if I was them. So I did that. And it would be horrible to not know how to fly, especially when you even have wings. So I'm going to teach you to fly." She gives a small smile, and looks somewhat bashful.

I'm taken by surprise by her compassion. Maybe she had an epiphany after her Mare Do Well encounter. "Rainbow Dash, I...thank you." I can't think of anything else to say. I feel guilty for deceiving her, surprised at her show of empathy, and also tired from an interrupted sleep. I try to find more words to show my thanks, but my mind can't seem to find any.

"Yeah...whatever." She smiles at me, and I return it. "We can probably just do a some each day after I get home until you get the hang of it," She puffs out her chest and slightly narrows her eyes, smirking. "And with the best flier in all of Equestria as your trainer, you'll be flying in no time!"

I laugh. "I couldn't have picked a better place to lose my memory."

"Alright, you hungry?" she says, laughing.

We eat a dinner of carrot-and-various-flower sandwiches. Rainbow Dash talks about working out a schedule of some sort for teaching me to fly, to a mixture of herself and me, figuring out when would be best to teach certain aspects of flight. She tells me that I can continue to "crash at her place" as long as I don't eat all of the muffins, to which I respond that I'll make sure to save her at least one, and thank her. We finish our meal and clean up, then she lets me know we'll begin the basics of wings and flying tomorrow afternoon before heading off to her room for some shuteye.

I decide to follow suit. I've had a fairly long day, and it's still not sitting well with my conscience that I have twisted the truth to my hostess and heroine. I make my way to the cloud-made couch I have overtaken and flop down on my right side, which is much more comfortable now. I close my eyes, listening to the sound of the breezes running through the room and imagining myself coasting upon them.
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Reliving the more recent events in my memory every night has become a reoccurring event for me. I lay on the couch with my eyes closed, feeling physically rested but mentally tired. Last night was plagued by my dreams of my last waking moments on Earth, of falling for what felt like forever, and even of my memory of seeing my new body for the first time (although the panic of the moment is somewhat lost by now). I sigh and open my eyes, then lean off of the couch and on to the floor that is composed of the same material.

I review in my head what I will do today, in a checklist sort of way. Breakfast, mess with my wings, wait for Dash, learn to fly. I trot over to the staircase and head downward, my hooves making soft whumps of air being released from the clouds compressed by them. I decide to start the day with a muffin, and go over to the cabinets in the kitchen/dining room. I place my forelegs on the plushy counter tops and select a cabinet. I look inside and find the flowers and hay, realizing I am one cabinet off. I strafe over and open the muffin cabinet, biting and holding on to a muffin with red splotches on it.

I eat the muffin, which turns out to be rhubarb flavored (you know, the stuff that looks like red celery?). It's been sweetened with sugar; rhubarb is somewhat bitter or sour without some form of sweetening. After cleaning up what crumbs I have left on the low-sitting table, I headbutt the front door open and trot outside. 

Judging by where the sun is, it's probably close to ten or eleven o' clock. in the morning. It is nearing its highest point in the sky, but is offset towards what I assume to be the east. I wonder if the sun-rises-in-the-east-and-sets-in-the-west rule still applies in Equestria. I look away from the bright yellow orb of fire and glance around me. There are a few thin clouds here and there. Darker and thicker clouds still hang over the white canopy I know to be the Everfree Forest. Cloudsdale still sits high above me, and I can see a few colorful specks moving around above it. I peer over the edge of Rainbow Dash's cloud home, looking at Ponyville. Equally small specks roam around slowly amongst the white coating on the ground. I want to go down there and explore, but I'm stuck up here on condensed water particles. Hopefully that will change soon...

I glance back to my wings on the thought. Both look healthy, soft, powerful, sleek, and majestic, all at once. I tense up a bit and watch them spread out behind me, admiring them. I move away from the edge of the cloud, back to the open area in front of Rainbow Dash's house in the sky.

I spend the next few hours in this area, attempting to move my wings around as much as I can. I find that fully tensing the muscles in my upper back fully extend and raise my wings, and fully relaxing these same muscles cause them to condense and begin collapsing onto my sides. Deciding to improve upon this as best I can, I begin tensing up my back at various intensities. Eventually, I am able to move my wings up and down, finding how hard to contract or release the muscles to do so while maintaining the same spread and length of my wings. 

I can compare my wings functioning similarly to how an airplanes' function. They can be tilted up and down, extended outward and inward to control how I fly, at least while gliding, like the rudders of a plane. Having to flap them to propel myself instead of having a jet thruster do it for me will be a challenge, I can see. I suppose that is what I am having Rainbow Dash train me for, though.

I think of how I didn't exactly tell her the truth and feel some guilt. I truly wish I could tell her everything, but I know she probably wouldn't understand, or would shun me for who I really was. I already have her suspicious, I think, so a white lie probably was a good idea anyways.

Rainbow arrives home when the sun is a little over halfway between high noon and the horizon; I estimate around four or five o'clock. She flaps down to her cloud, settling down and folding her wings at her sides.

"Hey, Ferrum! Ready to get started?" She seems eager, and I decide that I am as well.

"Yep! Where should we start?" 

"Okay, so I figured we need to figure out how to move your wings around, up and down and stuff, first."

It seems like a good enough place to begin, and I've been attempting to do this very thing most of the day. "Sounds good," I say, intending to show her I'm ready to begin.

"So...move your wings...up."

I tense up my upper back and shoulders, and feel the shift in my back as my wings rise, spreading the feathers in them a little.

"Awesome. Now, down." She sounds like she's playing Simon Says.

I relax most of the way, letting my wings fall level with my body.

She looks at my wings and her face screws up a little in concentration. "Hmm...you're letting your wings just drop. Try pushing them down. You gotta push them down to push off the air."

I contort my own face a little in concentration, and attempt to push my wings down. I flex a few muscles, but my wings just extend out or raise.

Dash watches me attempt to do what she has instructed, then cuts in. "Here, umm..." I watch her close her eyes and concentrate, lifting her wings and then bringing them down. I note that her wings reach the same angle from her body when lowered as when raised, nearly brushing the cloud ground when they are lowered. "Okay, so, y'know when you tighten up your back to raise your wings?" She pauses momentarily, and I nod in acknowledgment. "Try pulling your shoulders back, and then do that."

"Okay..." I close my eyes so I won't be distracted by anything and lower my eyebrows, concentrating. I tense up, lifting my wings. I pull my shoulders backwards a little, and feel my wings begin dropping. I continue pulling my shoulders back and tensing my upper back's muscles until I feel the tips of both my wings brush the ground. I open my eyes and relax. Rainbow Dash is watching me, smiling. I smile myself, and turn back to watch my wings as I repeat the action. Keeping my back somewhat tense, I pull my shoulders back, then move them forward, watching the black wings move down, then up. I experiment a bit with this, finding the more tense my back is, the more extended my wings are when moving up and down, and vice versa. I turn back to Rainbow, still smiling.

"Nice!" She says. "Okay, now try tilting them a bit."

I actually figured this out earlier in the day. I position my shoulders around halfway back, which keeps my wings level with my body and still extended, and tense up or relax in small increments on either side of my back. As I do, the wing that corresponds with the side of muscles I relax or tense tilts up or down, extending or compacting slightly as it does so. They really do look like the rudders and flaps on an airplane as they shift various degrees up and down.

"Awesome," Rainbow Dash says before continuing. "See, doing that makes you turn in the air, if you move just one wing at a time, or makes you go up or down while you're gliding, if you move both."

"Ahh, okay." It makes sense, and wings indeed function as those of planes do. Or more, plane wings function like wings do; birds, or in this case, pegasi, were there before airplanes. "Is that it?" I ask.

"Pretty much, yeah. You gotta know what to do with your legs and stuff, too, because they can throw you off balance if they're flailing around or something. You pretty much just let them hang there, unless you're flying fast, then you just lift them up under you or in front of you to make yourself go faster." She definitely knew what to do when it came to flying. I suppose you have to to become Best Young Flier in Equestria, though.

"Alright, cool." I don't know what else to say, really.

"I think that's pretty good for today. You're doing awesome, I bet you'll be flying really soon." She motions towards the front door of her house, and we begin trotting to it.

"Thanks, I hope so. Thanks for the lesson, too, I really appreciate it."

She glances towards the grounds, smiling. "Hah, yeah, no problem."

We walk inside her house of clouds and begin what has become a nightly routine over the past few days of eating, discussing various things (tonight was of tomorrow's plans to see if I could gain some lift, of her job, and of preferred types of flowers and plants in sandwiches), and then going to sleep for the night. I lie down tonight feeling satisfied and excited for tomorrow, and drift off to sleep.

***

The next three days pass fairly close to the same way. Every day I awake, plagued again and again by my nightmares, my memories. Some of the dreams that I can remember are good, and are usually of flying or of Rainbow Dash, but the bad memories seem dominant. I eat my breakfast, the first day being one composed of two carrots, the second being a banana muffin, the third of a blueberry muffin. I go outside of Rainbow Dash's house and enjoy the nice weather, despite the lower temperatures in the air, stretching my wings and moving the around. One day I re-sample the rainbow pool that I find quite tasty. And I wait the day away until Rainbow returns home.

On the first day, I make an attempt to hover. I am successful, finding I am able to lift myself a few feet off the ground. I don't attempt to do much more than that for fear of taking things a bit too fast. I fly around, hover around, slowly, and begin to get the hang of maneuvering using wings. On the next day, I push myself farther, and am soon flying at about a jogging speed around Rainbow Dash's property, doing circles around and over her house. On the third day, I am able to fly fairly stably, and I venture outside of her cloud property to reach other clouds. She flies with me, and we venture steadily around the afternoon sky.

We finish with dinner, composing of first apples, then of muffins, then hay-and-flower sandwiches. Though my diet is somewhat lacking in variety, it doesn't get repetitive. Dash and I talk about my progress, about her job, and on the third day, of Hearthswarming Eve. I bring it up because I remember that the day is December 28th, a Friday, and that Christmas would have been three days ago. I nearly feel bad for not saying anything like "Happy Hearthswarming Eve" to her, but then she tells me that the holiday is on the 31st, at the end of the year. The days come to an end, me (or my wings, more specifically) feeling tired and anticipating the following day.

***

My first thought of the day is All right, it's Saturday! I open my eyes and hop off the couch. My memories had visited me yet again, and even though they shook me up a bit, as they always did, it was very hard to ruin a Saturday. A thought enters my head as I trot towards the doorway leading to the spiral staircase:

I've been here a week.

I stop, standing a foot away from the doorway. I can feel my wings begin to lower; they must have been raised from my excitement at the fact that it was Saturday. Has it really been a week? Only a week? It seems like it has been so much longer since I first awoke in Equestria, in the bed of my favorite pony from a television show, as a black pegasus with a broken wing. I think back over the days. What happened on Earth had happened on the 21st, a Friday. I woke up on Saturday, explored her house Sunday, unwrapped my healed wing Monday, and learned to fly Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. And here I am now. 

I decide it has been the best week I have ever had. Yes, I most likely died, received a pretty serious injury, and had pretty much had my brain fried from the amount of confusion and surprise I had endured; however, I landed somewhere I had only previously dreamed of going to, and had gotten to spend the week with my favorite rainbow-maned cyan-coated pegasus. I smile as I hear "Best. Week. Ever!" within my own head, spoken by said pegasus pony. I resume trotting towards the stairs and begin making my way downward.

As I near the bottom of the stairs, I can hear some rustling and other noises I can't place a...hoof...on. I step off the last of the cloud stairs and onto the floor of the kitchen, and am greeted by an odd whirring noise. It sounds like an R/C helicopter. I glance up, and find myself face to face with a turtle. Tortoise. Yes, tortoise. A tortoise wearing a miniature aviator's helmet, flight goggles, and an odd contraption upon its back that is generating the whirring I hear. The contraption is a propeller, and is lifting the tortoise to my eye level through helicopter-style propulsion. I recognize this hovering reptile immediately.

"Oh, hey, Tank," I say aloud. The tortoise appears to begin to smile. I can't really tell because his mouth is moving at the speed of...well, a tortoise.

Rainbow Dash appears in my sight picture. "Hey, Ferrum, that's..." She trails off momentarily, and a frown crosses her face. She shakes her head a little and continues. "...Tank. He's my pet tortoise."

I realize she probably made a connection in her head, and frown inwardly, hoping she would pass it off as something like me already having met Tank. "He's pretty awesome. Where has he been?" I aim to redirect her thoughts away from my knowledge of Tank prior to meeting him.

"Twilight was fixing his propeller-thingy, making it be more "energy-efficient" or something like that. I guess his batteries run off of the sun, which is pretty cool, I guess."

"Ahh, okay." I look back at Tank and smile at him. I think he's still attempting to smile, but he hovers away beside Dash, unblocking my path into the kitchen. I trot further inward, and realize something.

"Rainbow Dash, aren't you supposed to be at work?" I ask.

"Nah, I get the weekends off. I only had to go in last weekend because we had some snow clouds come in from Everfree Forest that we didn't want. I'm head weatherpony, so I've got to go in for stuff like that, even on my days off," she replies.

"Oh, sweet. So, what do you want to have for breakfast?"

"We should probably get some apples. I want to fly today, so we'll need some energy, y'know?"

"Fine by me," I answer, and trot over to the icebox, lifting the lid with my teeth and grabbing an apple before motioning her over to do the same.

We quickly eat our apples. Tank eats an apple, too, though very, very slowly. As I drop my core in the trash can, I hear Rainbow Dash behind me and turn around.

"Will you be good here, Tank? Me and Ferrum are gonna go fly for a while."

I watch the tortoise slowly lift its head, closing its eyes, then bring its head back down and open its eyes. The whole process takes about ten seconds. Rainbow Dash smiles and turns to me.

"You ready?"

"Yep, let's go."

I turn and push open the door with my nose, stopping a few feet outside and holding the door with a foreleg for Dash. After she trots through, I let the door swing shut. We walk further out into her front yard. She turns and looks at me, asking with her magenta eyes, Ready to go? I smile in response and turn forward, bending my knees. I shove off from the soft cloud, into the air, before thrusting downward with my wings and flapping them to maintain my height. She follows suit, and then begins flying in a random direction. I follow her, beating my wings to keep beside her as best I can.

We fly leisurely for a few minutes, just enjoying the feeling of flying in open, crisp, cloudless air. The sun feels warm on my fur, and I feel comfortable despite the cold wind blowing past me. I glance over at Rainbow Dash, and see that her eyes are set ahead. She has her competitive look on, like some unknown competitor is challenging her to do something. All of a sudden, she begins rapidly accelerating. I attempt to mimic her increasing speed, but find that she pulls away at an amazing rate. I stop flying forward and just hover, watching her. She streaks farther and farther ahead. I can see a blur of color forming behind her, creating a trail of rainbow streaming off her tail.

She changes direction, heading straight upward, rainbow streak marking her ascending path. I watch her go higher and higher until she reaches a point about a thousand feet above her where she began traveling up. She then begins to drop. Rainbow Dash allows herself to fall for a few seconds, and then begins changing direction rapidly. She goes down, left, down again, to the right, straight back up, loops around, comes back down, and makes a few more jagged turns, all within a matter of around a second. She finally levels out and shoots straight back to where I continue to hover, stopping beside me. I stare, likely open-mouthed, at where she was only a short time ago.

In the sky is a faint rainbow outline of a design I have seen many times. It is of a thundercloud and a lightning bolt shooting out of it, and is the cutie mark of Rainbow Dash, created from her own rainbow streak. It remains visible for five seconds or so before dissipating back into the late morning sky.

"That was awesome!" I say, feeling giddy. I look over at Rainbow Dash, who is now lightly panting.

"Heh..." She takes in a few breaths. "That was nothing." She continues panting for a few more seconds, then inhales deeply, letting the breath out before continuing. "Watch this!"

The next two hours pass with Rainbow Dash performing various stunts for me, some of which are combinations of well-known tricks, others that are her own creations, and all of them impressive. I eventually get tired of hovering and find a nearby cloud, one that is large and fluffy, and sit down to enjoy the show. Dash pulls off stunt after stunt, from corkscrews, loop-de-loops, corkscrews within loop-de-loops, and a few of her own tricks. One of them I recognize as her "buccaneer blaze" after a few bolts of lightning crack through the air following her maneuvering. After one especially long line of tricks, finished by one of her own, she returns to the cloud I am sitting upon.

"Rainbow Dash, you're amazing!" I cry. "Those stunts were ridiculously awesome." I feel like attempting to describe just how awesome they were, but can't find good enough words to use.

Her chest is heaving, struggling to take in as much air as it possibly can. If ponies could sweat, it would be pouring off her by now. Between huffs of breath, she says, "Thanks!"

I grin and watch her cool off for another minute or so. When she seems to have recovered, she sighs.

"Whew!"

I laugh, and she smiles at me, still lightly panting.

"Alright...I'm going to try one more trick, something new. If I mess it up, you gotta promise not to laugh, okay?" She stands back up and looks at me, awaiting an answer.

I stand as well and look her in the eyes. "I promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," I say, completing the motions as I do so and smiling afterward. Wait...

Her slight smile completely disappears. A blank look covers her face again, with the hint of a frown on her lips. Her magenta eyes seem to stare completely past my own and at something else. Her eyes seem to refocus back on mine after a second. Rainbow Dash's eyebrows close together a little, and her eyes begin to narrow.

Shit, shit, shit! Why the fuck did I--

My thoughts are cut off by a hard impact on my chest and neck. My eyes slam shut on the hit, and I am thrown backwards. I feel my back make contact with a soft surface, and feel my wings are spread completely out behind me. My head makes its own contact with the same soft surface. I can feel my legs splayed out in a spread-eagle formation. I open my eyes.

I am staring directly into the face of one very-pissed-off Rainbow Dash. I can see that she is standing over me. I feel pressure upon my wings, near the bases of both; I realize she is not standing over me, but on me, on my wings. Her breathing is short and hard, and I can feel lights puffs of it every few seconds on my face. She glares at me, eyes narrowed, eyebrows together, jaw set tight. Her eyes burn with fury; they almost appear to be red instead of their usual magenta.

Oh, shit...

	
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Goddamn, why did I have to say that? I can see Rainbow Dash's tail snap like a whip in the bottom corner of my vision. Christ...nice going, asshole, I scold myself. The pressure from her front hooves on my wings actually doesn't feel like much; she has to be pushing down fairly hard, so she has to way less than one hundred pounds. Maybe even less than fifty. I could probably throw her off of me my pushing my wings up, even more easily by bucking her off, but...no. I have to face her now, or else she'll hunt me down until I give her some answers. I know that there has to be a look of surprise and panic on my face, but she caught me off guard by tackling me to the cloud. I feel tense, and let myself relax a little.

Dash's entire body screams "anger". Her wings are flared fully out, feathers fully spread, giving the effect of making her look a lot larger than she usually is, not to mention more menacing. Her tail lashes around viciously every few seconds. She is angled forward and down, towards my face. Rainbow Dash's own face is covered by a deep scowl and a tightly set jaw, and now appears to have taken on a more purple hue; I guess that this is because of her blue coat mixing with red flushing. What intimidates me the most about the cyan pegasus standing on me is her eyes. Her eyes usually had a sparkle to them when she was happy, or a shimmer when she would get competitive or determined; now, they are both fiery and dull at the same time. Dash's magenta eyes have a red tinge to them and appear to reflect little light, despite the blinding midday light. It's like staring nose-to-nose with a bull.

"How do you know how to Pinkie promise?! How do you know all this...stuff?! About when I broke my wing, and Tank even though you hadn't met him, and...why are you so weird?! You don't know stuff everyone else knows, try and do weird stuff, and..." She trails off. Rainbow Dash has been half-yelling at me; her scratchy voice has cracked every time she starts a new question or accusation. I think she's either so angry that she's lost her train of thought, or so bewildered that she doesn't know how to continue. A second passes, and I can see her mind rapidly trying to think things through.

"Are you, like, a...like a spy or something? Do you get your sick kicks watching me and my friends all day?!" She is looking more and more angry by the second. I see that this idea is beginning to stick in her head, and decide to stop it before she assumes something that isn't true. Honestly, though, she is kind of right, I do watch them all--shut up, damn it.

"Dash," I say quietly.

"How long have you been spying on us, me?! Months? Years?!"

"Rainbow Dash," I say, a little more loudly this time.

"Oh, Celestia...I'm going to...to...do...I don't even know what to you, but it's going to hurt, real bad, and--"

"Rainbow Dash, stop, now," I state firmly, cutting her off. She returns her focus to my eyes. She stops talking, but still glares angrily at me.

"Can you please let me up?" I ask. "I'm not going to go anywhere. I promise."

She continues glaring, but I can see she is considering my request. "Pinkie promise. You know how to do it," she says bitterly.

I slowly lift my right foreleg from its splayed position on the cloud I lay on. "Cross my heart," I begin, bringing the leg slowly in an "X" across my chest. "Hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." I place my hoof in front of my right eye, then lower my foreleg back to its original position.

She stares at me a few more seconds, then says, "Fine," moving her hooves off of my wings. She backs about a foot away from me, and I roll to my side before pushing myself back on to four legs. I spread my wings out, and she tenses up, but I relax and let them fall to my sides. I decide I'll probably be here a while, and sit down, placing my front hooves between my splayed rear legs and sitting as ponies do near the edge of the cloud.

I look over to her. "You might want to sit down," I tell her, and she eyes me suspiciously for a short while before sitting down a few feet to my left, obviously keeping her distance. I don't blame her. I turn my head forward and look out into the clear day. I can see both Cloudsdale and Ponyville in the far distance, and attempt to find Rainbow Dash's house between the two. I see a white speck mottled with various lines of color and decide that is it. Though I sit quietly, my mind is churning at full speed, attempting to prepare itself or reason. What if I just lie to her, say that I am a stalker, to avoid all this? She'd surely hate me, and I'd probably get my ass kicked. But would not seeing her ever again be for the best? ...No, it isn't worth it. I've got to tell her the truth. How will she take it? That I used to be something else, that I'm not who I say I am? She can't possibly understand...I have to tell her, though. I can hear her fidget a little beside me; she's probably getting impatient. My mind begins talking to itself. You always knew you'd have to tell her. Why did you lie, anyways? Did it really help? Look what it led to: the exact thing you were trying to avoid.

A breeze brushes against my right side, and I feel my gray mane slightly flutter out to my left before returning to its static position on my neck and head. Tell her. Tell Rainbow Dash everything. I fully inhale the crisp, chilly winter air, then release it all in a long sigh. I can see Rainbow Dash turn to look at me in my peripheral.

"I..." My voice cracks, and I clear it. "I suppose I should start with who I really am. I am not really a pony; or I wasn't until a week ago. I was a 'human', a name we gave to our own race. Humans are like...well, they look like tall versions of Spike, Twilight's assistant?" I glance to my left, and Rainbow nods in confirmation. Her look of anger has faded into one of some confusion. "They have things like claws, but they're called fingers and toes, and they walk on two legs. Humans don't have much fur, and look the same color as a shaved pony, a pink, tan, or brown color. They, I, lived on a place we called 'Earth', a place a lot like Equestria...or more, like the Everfree Forest." I look over at Dash. She is turned towards me, listening patiently and wearing a look that says, "go on..."

"On Earth, we have these things that are like...moving pictures, and we watch them a lot." I pause, thinking about how I need to phrase my next statement so as not to confuse Rainbow Dash...or imply that she did not exist. "One of these moving pictures was about you and your friends, and Equestria. I watched this moving picture and enjoyed it a lot. It showed some of the adventures you all had together and about the friendship you share. I saw things like how you all defeated Nightmare Moon and later Discord, how you made your first 'sonic rainboom', and a lot of other stuff. That's how I know about Tank, and your broken wing, and Pinkie promises, and a lot of other things about you and your friends and even other ponies in Ponyville." I watch as a group of birds flies across my field of view.

"But...last Friday, something happened on Earth. I think it just...ended. I think I died, and everyone else on Earth did, too."

"What happened to them? They were dyed?"

I would have smiled if it were not these circumstances. So, ponies don't have death here? It makes sense, yet does not. I know that other ponies have existed before these ponies, and that there are old ponies all over Equestria, so death and age seems logical. However, I also realize it is a cartoon, and cartoon characters almost never age. Hell, Maggie from The Simpsons is still like a year old, and the show has been aired for what, twenty? Thirty years?

"No, not 'dyed'...they, umm...stopped existing. Their lives just ended, stopped. My life stopped. But anyways, then I woke up here. I wasn't a human, I was a pegasus, like you, looking just like one of the ponies from the moving picture I watched a lot. And you pretty much know what's happened since then."

I look over at Rainbow Dash. She sits staring ahead, as I had, into the blue of the sky. "So...are you really...like, you? Ferrum?" Her voice is considerably softer now. I can't tell if she understands all of what I have told her, has gone into some level of shock from hearing it, or is utterly confused at this point. She just frowns, staring ahead.

I sigh a little. "Well, not technically, no. I wasn't Ferrum as a human. But I'm a pony now, not a human, so I want you to know me as Ferrum, because that's who I am now." I mean it wholeheartedly. I know using my real name, my old name, would bring back too much memory of Earth, of my family, of what I miss.

"Okay," she replies simply, still staring ahead and frowning. "So you really couldn't fly, ever?"

Her questions are simple, which I assume is part of the shock of hearing this from me. "No, not as a human. I didn't know how to fly until you taught me. And I'm sorry about that, for lying to you about not knowing how to fly, saying I forgot how. But I can't thank you enough for teaching me to fly, it means a lot. I see now why you enjoy it so much."

Rainbow Dash just nods silently. It is beginning to scare me to see her sit so quietly and still for even this long.

I feel the need to say something else, something reassuring. "Listen, Rainbow Dash...I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I should have never not told you about this, about me. I shouldn't have lied to you about anything. You've done so much for me. You took me in when I got injured, gave me food and a roof to stay under, and company. You taught me how to fly, how to do something I never dreamed I would be able to do. You gave me so much and asked for nothing back; you were...loyal...to me.  And I feel like I owe you everything; but all I've done is lie to you and hide the truth from you. I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash."

My stomach feels sick. I feel like I want to crawl and a hole and die, because I know everything I've said is true. I feel a little relieved that I got out what I felt needed to be gotten out, though. I tilt my head downward and stare down, not looking at anything in particular. I don't want to look at Rainbow Dash, though. I hear a bit of rustling to my left, then the soft whump, whump, whump of wings propelling a pony into the air. I listen to her wings beating until I can't hear them do so any more. I then close my eyes and push myself backwards, letting myself fall onto my backside. I don't feel like doing anything other than sleeping, despite the fact I'm not really tired. The cloud pulls my wings, tucked behind me, my back, and my head into itself, soft as ever. Sleep comes quickly when my mind is devoid of thought.

***

I shiver a little. It's fairly cold now; maybe it's not, and it's just me. I don't really know and don't really care. I deserve to freeze to death. A part of my mind tells me that I really don't, but I ignore it, fighting against myself. My internal fight is interrupted by an odd feeling. I know the feeling; it feels like I'm being watched. I crack open my eyes.

The light level is significantly less than when I began sleeping. The sun is a red-orange and is nearing the horizon. I can see a faint moon in the sky; it looks like it will be full tonight, and is very large in comparison to how Earth's moon looked from the ground. I open my eyes more and see I am still on my back, in the same position I was when I fell asleep. I lean forwards, grunting as I come to a sitting position. I let out a sigh. All I could think about while sleeping was Rainbow Dash. Just her, nothing else. A part of me is glad that the nightmarish memories didn't visit me during my nap, but the sickly feeling returning to my stomach overrides my minor relief.

I stare at the setting sun for some time. The wispy clouds in the distance have a pink color to them as they drift lazily in random directions. The snow on the ground also gives off a pink hue. The afternoon is calm and mostly silent. I hear the distant songs of a few birds on the ground. The faint chirping of crickets also fills the air. I can mainly hear the winter winds calmly blowing around me. I feel my left ear twist in the same direction as I hear a faint noise to my left.

I turn my head to the left. On the cloud sits a light blue pegasus. A mane composed of six streams of color falls to around the right side of her neck and slightly over her eyes. Her eyes are a red-purple, a magenta, and reflect some of the red-orange from the sun. Her wings sit half-opened, as if she had just landed on the cloud. A faint smile crosses her slightly somber face.

"Rainbow Dash?" I nearly whisper.

"Hey," she says, her voice cracking a little but as quiet as my own. "Come on, let's get home. It's getting dark."

"Let's get home?" Home? Does she mean...? I roll onto my side, and from there onto my feet. I see her jerk her head in the direction of her home, and she begins to flap off of the cloud. I do the same, pumping my wings until I am level with her. She flies off at a slow pace, and I follow, a few feet behind her.

We arrive at her cloud home in around ten minutes. She trots to her front door and nuzzles it open, holding it for me with a back leg. I speed up a little to get inside, and she lets the door swing shut. Rainbow Dash's kitchen seems peaceful with the red-orange light streaming in through the windows. The clouds all seem to hold the sun's color, tinted whiter. I see that Tank the tortoise is on the cloud table, taking the last bite of his apple that is all but cored at this point. I feel like smiling, but can't. 

Rainbow Dash begins to lightly hover, and begins opening cloud cabinets. I watch as she pulls out two plates and sets them on the table. She grabs some unsliced bread and a couple of muffins, distributing them evenly on the plates. I am a little off-put by her going about the nightly routine we maintained throughout the past week, as per usual. She sits down at the table and looks at me standing by the door.

"You gonna eat?" she casually inquires.

I stare blankly back at her for a moment, then slowly trot over to the fluffy little table and sit down. I look down at the food. I do feel pretty hungry, so I lean down and begin biting off pieces of bread. It is slightly warm and has a sweetish taste to it. I can't remember what this kind of bread is called, but recognize its taste.

We sit in silence for a few minutes. I am halfway through my raspberry muffin, wondering exactly how many flavors of muffins ponies make, when Rainbow Dash begins talking.

"Uhh...sorry for running off like that earlier. That wasn't really that cool of me." She says, looking a little embarrassed.

"You don't need to apologize, I understand." 

"I just...I guess I kind of freaked out. I wasn't really expecting any of that."

"It's okay, really. I would've been freaked out, too." I feel awkward, so I continue biting into my muffin. I manage to get a raspberry whole with this bite; it tastes fresh and juicy on my tongue. It's a minute or so before she decides to continue.

"So, you're like, an alien, huh?"

"Well...I was. I'm a pony now, not an alien. I still have my alien brain, I guess, but I'm a pony nonetheless," I reply.

"Okay...so, what was your world like?" She pauses, seeming to remember something. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to or anything..."

"No, it's okay, I'll tell you about it. Umm...it really was a lot like Equestria. It had a lot of different types of..." I nearly say "environments", but remember that Rainbow Dash's vocabulary can be somewhat limited. "...places. Like, deserts, forests, jungles, oceans, things like that, just like here. There were a lot of different plants and animals. You have a lot of them here. We, the humans, were the only smart ones though. We did have smart animals, but humans could talk and build things, so we seemed a bit smarter. We built lots of big cities all over the world, with really tall buildings and a lot of things to see and do in them. There were a lot of really nice natural things all over the world, too, like giant mountains, or natural cliffs, or waterfalls, or islands, and a lot of other things." I pause to catch my breath and think of what to sum up next.

"Wow, that sounds like a pretty awesome place," Rainbow Dash says. She appears to be genuinely interested; I didn't think she would be.

"Yeah, it definitely could be. But it could also get pretty bad sometimes. There was a lot of danger. Wild animals, sicknesses, and natural disasters like fires, tornadoes, and hurricanes were always getting humans hurt. Humans would hurt each other sometimes, too. There was always a lot of fighting going on in the world, usually over stuff that didn't even matter. Humans could be really mean to each other. And the big cities and machines we made were hurting Earth, our planet, making animals and plants disappear and causing weather problems. We didn't have any pegasi to help with the weather, either."

"It doesn't sound as great now," she chimes in. I smile a little and continue.

"But to get through the bad stuff, we still had things like friends and family, and stuff we liked to do, and things like fun, and happiness, and love. We tried to focus on those the most to get through our lives. That's why I liked watching you and your friends' adventures; this place is filled with fun, and happiness, and love, a lot more so than on Earth, even if there is still danger, and sadness, and pain."

She is smiling now. We sit across the table from each other and just stare into one another's eyes for a while. She eventually pulls away and looks over to one of the windows. I follow her gaze, and see that there is very little light left in the sky. I hadn't even noticed how dark the room was until now. The last sliver of a bright-red sun is slowly disappearing over the horizon. We return to looking at each other.

"You okay with taking the couch again tonight?" she asks.

"Sure," I reply, and stand from the table. I tense up as many muscles as I can and suck in my breath, stretching. I wonder how long we had been sitting there. She stands as well, and heads for the stairwell. I trail behind her, and begin to climb the stairs. We approach the second floor after a few seconds of spiraling upward.

"Night, Ferrum," says Rainbow Dash.

"Good night, Rainbow Dash," I reply with a smile. I step out of the stairwell and into the living room. She returns my smile with her own, and continues plodding up the cloud stairs. I turn into the living room and begin trotting towards the couch. I clamber atop its plushy cushions and lie down, tucking my wings to my sides. I close my eyes, feeling relief from their heaviness as I do so.
> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The first of my senses that returns to me today is smell. I can smell something cooking, something like biscuits, or pancakes. Yes, pancakes. I can smell pancakes cooking. Cooking a little too much. A slight tinge of burning has worked its way into my nose; not enough to be alarming, though. I can hear the sounds of cooking, too. There is a soft sizzle coming from below me, along with a few pops signifying burned batter.

"Aww, hay!" I hear a scratchy female voice say somewhat quietly. I smile in recognition of the voice, and a thought crosses my mind. Is Rainbow Dash trying to cook? I chuckle a little to myself at this thought, knowing whatever she's trying to make isn't going to end up very pretty. It still smells alright, though. Burned pancakes are better than no pancakes. My stomach gurgles at the thought of food. I open my eyes.

The room is bright, the windows (which are really just holes in the cloud house) letting in the morning sun's light. My eyes don't feel tired or heavy, as they had for the past week or so. I must have slept pretty good. I think about it, my sleep, for a moment. I realize that I didn't have any dreams, at all. No memories relived again and again in my head. No good dreams, either, but I feel that's beside the point. I am happy that my sleep was true sleep, not interrupted by asteroids, or falling, or surprise and fear. Or guilt. I think back to the previous night.

I remember Rainbow Dash tackling me in anger, anger at how I seemed to know too much about her life, and at how I seemed to not know anything at all about normal things. I told her everything, summed up, because everything-everything would have taken far too long to recount and would have likely made her lose her sanity. I remember her leaving, probably needing to just get away and think things over for a while. I fell asleep for some time, and found her back at where I was, asking me to return to her home like I hadn't said anything at all. But I had, and I knew she knew I had. Did she look at me differently, now? Probably. But is that bad, or good? I don't know. 

My conscience feels fairly clear at this point. I've told Rainbow Dash the truth. But, that doesn't fully eliminate the fact that I lied to her in the first place, and a little twinge of guilt still remains. Why did I even lie? I again question myself. Maybe to attempt to create a sense of normalcy? I know that that is how the human mind works. It is always attempting to make itself feel normal. That's why people follow others, whether intentions are good or bad; to fit in, to be normal. Or why insane people think they are normal, functioning humans. The mind compensates, telling itself it is normal; for if it is not, then it loses itself. I still should have used better judgment, though. Maybe my slip-ups that led to her confrontation of me were a sign from my brain, a warning?

I shake my head a little, clearing the dry-erase board of my thoughts. I may as well see how Rainbow Dash is doing today. Maybe she was in too much shock yesterday. Should I really be in her house, lying on her couch...? Either way I ought to get off the couch. I turn my head and tilt it up to look at the rest of my body on the couch. I'm lying on my right side. My left wing sits exposed on my side, tucked in neatly and compactly. My right wing likely looks the same under my matte black body. My rear legs are sprawled out on the couch; my right leg is hanging off of the edge of the couch. A sideways anvil with a hammer raised above it paint my left flank. My tail sits on the armrest opposite the one my head was lying on, the hair composing it spread out; it makes the two shades of gray composing it blend together unevenly.

Having a tail is kind of odd, too, I realize. It's not a long tail, like a dog's or cat's, but is a tail nonetheless. It just feels like part of my back, and it's hard to notice that it's even there. I snap it a little from my lying position, watching it raise a few inches off the couch before flopping back down upon it. I'm getting too distracted by this...

I roll off the couch and land on my hooves. Not having hands is odd, really odd. I can't feel that they aren't there twenty-four/seven, but if I think about wanting to do something like, I don't know, pick something up, or crack my knuckles, then I can feel it. It's like having permanent fists, that are twice as hard as normal fists, and where you can't feel the fingers all clustered together to form the fist. I think about how weird it is that, though ponies do have hooves in Equestria, they are not clearly defined. Where the black hoof should be is just colored fur, just like the rest of the pony. Damn it, breakfast! Go get breakfast, go see Dash. I can't tell whether it's my brain or my stomach that's angrily shouting at me internally. Whichever one it is, they're right. I maneuver around the cloud coffee table that sits in the center of the three couches of the same material, and trot for the stairs.

I make my way down and trot a few steps into the kitchen. A burnt smell is more dominant now, but there is still a hint of pancake in the air. I see Rainbow Dash over at what I thought to be a counter, but what appears to be an oven. I decide not to try and think about how an oven is even possible when everything is made of condensed water droplets. Her wings are extended, and she is flapping her right one to fan some smoke away from the cloud oven. She leans down and grabs something in her mouth; I can't see what because she is in front of what she has picked up. Rainbow turns around carefully, and I see that the item she picked up was a frying pan, which contains a very brown pancake. At least, I think it's a pancake.

She spots me, standing in the doorway leading to the stairs. I can see her eyes brighten, and I think she attempts a smile, but the pan in her mouth prevents it. 

"Haah, Erruh!" she says incoherently.

I assume she's greeting me, and reply, "Hey, Rainbow Dash." She trots slowly to the table in the middle of the room, then tilts her head over top of a plate, letting the decrepit pancake fall onto it with a pat. She turns around and walks back to the cloud-oven-counter-thing, setting the pan down before turning around, again.

She looks down at the pancake she just placed on the plate. I see that there are a few others underneath it; some are the same color as the pancake, some are darker, and some are very light, oozing raw batter a little. A very similar looking plate full of pancakes, overcooked and undercooked, sits across from the plate. "I, uhh...tried...to make pancakes," she says, frowning at her creations.

I smile, close to laughing. "They look...tasty?" I half-lie, half-ask.

She stares at them a little while longer, still frowning. "They suck," Dash observes.

"No, really, they look good," I say, still smiling. I'm probably not too convincing. "Pancakes are pancakes, let's try them out before we judge them." I try to sound as reassuring as I can without laughing. Those poor pancakes need to be put out of their misery, anyways. I trot over to the table and sit down in front of the plate nearest to me. Rainbow Dash does the same, eyeballing her plate of pancakes as she trots up to them, as if they're going to start growling. I hope that they don't.

I lean forward and down and grab a burnt pancake in my mouth, wriggling my head a little to bite my piece of pancake fully off. It tastes like a burnt pancake, all right. The pancake part is pretty tasty, but the burnt isn't very welcome. The pancake is chewy and is a little hard to swallow. As it goes down, I let out a small cough, though I try to refrain from doing so. I put on a smile and look at her. "Mmm, pretty g-"

"They suck, don't they?" she repeats, cutting my off. I give a small smile and nod once to her. "I'm not very awesome at cooking," Rainbow states.

I smile a bit larger now. "I know," I say. I wonder if I shouldn't say things like that, hinting that I know quite a bit about her. Does it freak her out? I make note to try as hard as I can not to say these things, when I can remember not to. "You've got to practice to get better at cooking, and this is practice," I tell Dash, hoping it will reassure her.

"Yeah, I guess." She smiles a little bashfully at me, then looks down at her pancakes. She leans in and takes a bite out of her own burnt pancake. I watch as her face contorts into a look of mild disgust as she chews the pancake, then swallows. "Ugh..." she moans.

I laugh, then hesitantly go in for another piece of pancake. The taste eventually gets to be manageable. The burnt pancakes are pretty rough going down. I actually enjoy the undercooked ones that are basically just thickened batter; the only problem is trying to eat them, as they're not really solid. After a few failed attempts at biting the oozing pancakes, I begin to lick them up instead. Rainbow Dash laughs at my actions, but soon does the same when she comes across one of her own undercooked pancakes. By the time we've finished off our individual stacks of poorly-made pancakes, the table is a mess. Parts of pancake and burnt chips lay around our plates, and there is pancake slime splattered in various drops around the cloud surface. We observe our mess and laugh about it for a moment.

We stand and observe each other to check for pancake mess; we're both clean, though. The table took the brunt of the pancake onslaught. Dash trots over to one of the counters, leans down, and opens a door I did not know existed on the face of the counter. She pulls out two dishcloths, holding them in her mouth; one is orange, the other is purple. I assume she has every color of dishcloth in that cabinet below the counter. She jerks her head up at me, motioning for me to come and grab a dishcloth. I make my way around the table over to her, stopping a few feet from her.

I crane my neck downwards to grab one of the cloths; she's even tilting her head up and I have to reach down fairly far, around a foot down to her. I turn my head sideways as I near the orange cloth, which I have decided to choose for wiping off the pancake-covered table. I open my mouth and grip on to the cloth; it brushes against my tongue, and tastes odd, a stale, cloth-y taste. As I am about to pull away from her, cloth in my teeth, I happen to be inhaling in my cycle of breathing, right next to her. For just a moment, I can smell a scent of...oxygen. I had smelled it before when dealing with it in a pure form in in a chemistry class. It doesn't smell like air, like nothing, when pure; it's like how laughing gas smells, just without the sweetness of laughing gas. The scent doesn't smell like a chemical, as pure oxygen normally does, but rather like a small amount of oxygen, just enough to make it distinguishable from normal air. It's like the smell of the air at the peak of a mountain.

There is another scent that I can detect, barely. It smells like...peppers? Yes, hot peppers, like jalapeno peppers, or a hot sauce of some sort. Like the odor of oxygen, this scent is not overwhelming or too intense. It has a warm smell, and I have no doubt in my mind that if this scent were to become a sauce, it would have the perfect heat in one's mouth. The spicy smell is a lot more faint, though. I have a hunch it is being generated from Rainbow Dash's mane. It's also possible I've read too many fan fictions, and that this scent was also picked up on her fur. I wonder if the spicy smell is natural, while the oxygen smell has been picked up from flying at a high altitude. Either way, the combination of the purest of air and a perfect spice is...intoxicating.

In fact, I feel like smashing my face into Rainbow's neck and inhaling as deep as I can. Luckily, common sense is still in control, and I remember what I'm doing. I pull away from her, tugging a little on the orange dishcloth, and she opens her mouth a little to release her grip on it. I smile at her, cloth in my teeth, hoping I don't look too dazed. She smiles back, and turns to head for a sink. It looks like a faucet is above the sink, but I see no handles to release any water into the sink. Rainbow Dash brings up a foreleg and lightly smacks the faucet, and water begins to pour out. I watch in a degree of amazement, wondering how she had done that. I remember that pegasi can manipulate clouds to create rain; did the same logic apply here?

She tilts her head under the faucet to wet the dishcloth; when she moves away, I do the same, some droplets of water spraying my face as I hold the cloth under it. I pull away and stare at the running faucet for a moment. I lift a foreleg and move it to the faucet, tapping it with my hoof. The water stays on. I frown, losing the battle against the cloud faucet. I tap it a bit harder, actually putting some force behind my outstretched foreleg, and the water begins to thin until all that is left of the previously running stream is a few drops of water, falling into the sink. I smile to myself and turn around, facing the table.

I see Dash release the darkened purple cloth from her mouth, and it lands with a splat on the short cloud table. I take a few steps forward, approaching the table, and do the same on the opposite side of the table. I'm a bit slow on what to do next. I look at Rainbow Dash, and see she is placing her hoof on her cloth, moving it around the table. Oh, duh. I place a hoof on the less-bright orange piece of cloth and begin wiping the batter splatter off the table.

After a few minutes of wiping and a little scrubbing, the short little table is clean. I pick up my cloth again, tasting a little pancake, and drop it off in the sink. Rainbow follows me, turning the water back on to wash off the cloths before tossing them back into the cabinet below the counter top nearby. She turns back to face me, smiling as I do.

I let out a short sigh, more of a huff of breath, really. "Well...what do you want to do today? Have anything planned?" I ask, lacking imagination on how to spend the Sunday.

She frowns a little in thought, eyes glancing up to the ceiling. After a moment of thought, she looks back at me, mouth upturned a little. "Nope." Dash looks off in the distance in thought again. I wait patiently, seeing if she has any ideas. "Well..." she begins, still somewhat in thought. Rainbow Dash returns her eyes to mine. "You haven't really seen anything other than my house, right?" I nod in agreement. "Wanna look around someplace, like Ponyville or Cloudsdale or something? I mean, you've probably seen them before, but I bet you've never actually really seen them, right?"

"I've really only seen parts of them. Getting to see them for real sounds awesome," I agree. 

"Okay, so where do you want to go?" Rainbow asks.

I twist my mouth up a little in thought. Where do I want to go? I notice that my wings start to twitch a little behind me. I want to fly. That narrowed my choice down pretty easily in itself. "Think we could take a look around Cloudsdale?" I reply.

"Awesome! Every pegasus has to see the coolest city in the sky sometime. Come on, let's go!" she says cheerfully. Dash headbutts the door leading outside open, her wings already spreading. I quickly trot out the door behind her, and watch as she lifts off into the air, hovering in place and turning around to wait for me. I unfurl my wings and fully stretch them out, them pump them hard to propel myself into the air.

We have to keep flapping our wings for a while to gain enough altitude to be level with Cloudsdale. As Rainbow Dash and I approach the cloud city, I start to see more and more detail. Cloudsdale is obviously heavily influenced by Greek architecture, or whatever the pony equivalent to Greek architecture was, judging by the cloud-made pillars, large steps, and relatively grand looking houses I can see all over the city. I see pegasi everywhere, like multicolored flocks of birds. Majority of them are flying above the buildings of the city, but I do see some trotting around on the clouds composing the city's floor. 

We are around one hundred feet outside of the city when Rainbow stops midair, hovering. I keep myself aloft beside her. I have an excellent view of the city, and can see nearly every building or area within it.

"And this..." Dash gestures outward with her forelegs, "...is Cloudsdale." She begins pointing out various landmarks. "Uhh...over there, that's the city arena, where I did my second Sonic Rainboom, ever. That's the town hall. That big thing in the middle, with the rainbows coming out of it? That's the weather factory. I could probably give you a tour of that..."

"That sounds good. Mind if we go and check it out?" I ask.

"Let's do it," she replies, accelerating towards the giant factory. I strain a little to keep up with how fast Rainbow Dash is going; I'm lucky she's not going her usual speeds, though. I look down as I soar over Cloudsdale. There are medium-sized homes everywhere. They all look the same, but then again, they're all made of clouds and are white; it's hard to make out differences. As we near the factory, I can see more and more ponies on the cloud level and in the air with white hard hats on. Why would they need hard hats if clouds are so soft...? The logic eludes me. I suppose that clouds could be hard if impacted with enough force; I know that from experience.

Rainbow lands softly outside the weather factory. There is a hard-hatted pegasus standing outside the building. A bin full of white hard hats sits beside him. Dash trots over to the bin, motioning for me to follow. As she puts her hat on, I rummage through the bin, attempting to pick up a hard hat.

"Just going for a tour," she alerts the guard. I see him nod once in acknowledgment. I work my way into my plastic white hat and look at Rainbow Dash, smiling to show I'm ready to go in. "Alright, follow me," she tells me. I keep pace beside and slightly behind her as we push through the doors and into the factory. I look around the interior of the factory. Pegasi fly around everywhere. There are multiple stations, seemingly three in total, each doing something completely different from the last.

As I trot forward next to Dash, I see the snow-making process first. There are pegasi in white labcoats looking through microscopes and using small needles and tweezers. I also get somewhat conscious of the fact that they are holding needles and tweezers without hands or fingers. How in the hell...? Rainbow motions towards that lab-coated ponies and leans in, or more, up towards my ear. "Those guys are making snowflakes," she whispers. "Don't breath too hard or anything." I suck in my breath slowly and hold it in until we pass the sub-station.

I continue to look at the factory goings-about as I move along. The next sub-station within the snow-making station seems to be much simpler. What looks like a snow machine spits out a flurry of tiny snowflakes into a tube leading away, out of the building it seems. "That's where they use the snowflakes the eggheads design and make a bunch of 'em to make snow," she explains. They really are just snow machines, then, except they don't create fake snow. There are a lot of the machines, and all of them seem to be running full-blast; it makes sense, being that it's the correct time of year.

We move on to the second of the three stations. This one appear to be a cloud-making station. There are copies of a few different types of machines in this large station. The different kinds of machines appear to be color coded in some way. I can see about twenty machines painted a light blue color, ten painted a light gray, and five painted a dark gray. "Are the machines color coded?" I inquire to Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah," she replies. "I think the blue ones make the big, white, fluffy clouds, the ones we pegasi use for making our houses, or for making clouds on a nice day. The light gray ones make normal rain clouds, that only make rain or snow, and the dark gray ones make storm clouds, with a lot of rain and thunder and lightning and stuff."

"Ah, alright," I say, my question answered.

Dash and I continue on to the final station. This station is a bit smaller than the other two. I can see some more pegasi in white lab coats. These ones are leaning over test tubes, mixing various-colored chemicals together. In the cloud floor of the factory are pools of...rainbow. Oh, yeah, the rainbow station. There are around five different pools filled with liquid rainbow that I can see. There is what looks like vacuuming equipment scattered in this area; I guess that that is how the rainbows are distributed in the air.

Rainbow Dash turns to me and states, "This is my favorite part of the weather factory," smiling.

I smile back. "I would never have guessed," I reply sarcastically. She gives me a playfully scornful look.

"Want to taste one? A rainbow, I mean."

"Sure," I say, smiling inwardly because I already know that rainbows are pretty goddamn tasty.

Rainbow motions to a pool of the substance she was named after, dipping a hoof in. She sticks her rainbow-covered hoof in her mouth, pulling it back out clean as a whistle. "Mmm," she says, smiling. "Try it."

I move closer to the pool of color and look in. It's not reflective at all, like water would be. I slowly dip my right hoof into the pool, feeling the smooth liquid on my hoof as I pull it out of its source. I look at it for a second, not out of hesitance to try the substance, but because of how odd the splash of multicolor looks on my plain black hoof. I lick my hoof a few times to rid it of its color. I feel the familiar warmth in my mouth and throat, the excellent spiciness of the rainbow and its equally enjoyable liquid consistency. A thought occurs to me: This is what Rainbow Dash's spicy smell would taste like. It seems fairly obvious to me now.

I push the thoughts of how Rainbow Dash smells or possibly tastes out of my mind, returning my attention to her standing before me. "It's pretty tasty," I tell her sincerely, smiling.

She smiles back. "Yeah, I think so, too." She glances around, then says, "Well, that's it for the weather factory. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Definitely cool," I reply. We begin trotting towards the exit. "Anything else you want me to see in Cloudsdale?" I ask as I drop my hard hat into a bin beside the door leading back outside.

"Hmm..." she thinks aloud. "Oh, I want to show you the arena. It's pretty cool. Really old, I guess. It's where they hold the Best Young Flier competition, which I won a little while back with a Sonic Rainboom. The Wonderbolts do their shows there when they come to Cloudsdale on a tour, too. Let's go!" She jumps off into the air outside the factory, speeding off. I jump off of the springy cloud ground and follow suit, accelerating fairly fast to catch up to her lead. As I do, I wonder how fast pegasi can actually go. I know Rainbow Dash would have to clock in at least at 760 MPH or so to create a sonic boom. But, then again, physics in Equestria seemed a lot different from those on Earth at some points. I decide to just assume pegasi can go pretty fast.

We land, me a few seconds after her, in front of what appears to be a coliseum; in fact, it almost looks like the Colosseum in Rome, only made of clouds and wholly intact. A little Roman influence, too, I suppose. It looks enormous from the outside. I see Rainbow Dash jerk her head towards the entrance, motioning inside. I follow her into the giant cloud structure. On the inside, it is just as intimidating. It looks like it could seat hundreds of thousands of spectators. I spot the box for royalty, centered directly opposite the entrance into the arena. As I am inside the arena, I turn around and see the competitor preparation area, where I recall Rainbow Dash having an nervous breakdown. I frown; seeing Dash in panic, even in my memory, is not very uplifting, especially because of her brash and seemingly unbreakable personality. Or persona, really.

I shake my head a little to focus, and spin around, taking in the massiveness of the entire stadium. It's got to be at least two American football fields long and wide in the middle, not including the seating. All I can say is, "Wow..."

"Yeah, I know..." Rainbow agrees. "It was crazy having to fly in here, in front of all these ponies, even Princess Celestia," she says. I can see her pupils get a little smaller, likely in memory. She suddenly puffs her chest out a little and refocuses. "I wasn't even really nervous, though."

I cock my head a little to one side and give her my best Yeah, whatever you say... look.

"What?" She asks, looking and sounding like she's getting defensive.

I smile and shake my head. "Nothing," I reply. "I can't even imagine having to perform in front of so many peo--ponies." Getting used to saying pony-related terms instead of human-related terms is hard, don't judge me. My statement about publicity reminds me of something I had been meaning to ask Rainbow Dash. "Oh, Rainbow Dash?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

I glance around the arena. It's dead silent, save for Rainbow and I. I lower my voice a little. "Have you told anyone about who, what, I really...uhh, was?" I feel the need to ask the question, whether it really matter or not.

I seem to have caught her a little off guard with the question, but she recovers fairly quickly. "No, I haven't. Just me, you and Tank know. And Tank doesn't talk that much," she says, smiling with the last sentence.

I smile a little at the joke, but mainly in relief. Dash is a good liar, but I had seen how I had thrown her for a loop there. Another part of me just automatically trusts her, but I suppose some paranoia had caused me to doubt her anyways. "Do you think we could keep it that way?" I ask her.

"I won't tell anypony, Ferrum. They probably wouldn't believe me because they haven't met you, anyways." She makes a good point; my story would have sounded far-fetched to Rainbow if I wouldn't have slipped up or acted odd for a pegasus, or a pony in general.

"Thanks. I appreciate that. I'd rather have everypony thinking that I'm just somepony from out of town, not an alien who got turned into a pony, y'know?"

"Obviously," she says, chuckling. She glances into the sky; I do the same, and notice that the sun has dropped considerably from its late-morning point when we left her house. "C'mon, we'd better go check out the rest of Cloudsdale."

I agree, and we head out of the coliseum. The next couple of hours is spent looking at various landmarks in Cloudsdale, like the original cumulus cloud that the city was built upon, or the town hall in all its grandeur. We eventually head home when the sky is beginning to gain an orange tint. My wings are starting to hurt a little from flying around most of the day. Over a dinner of apples, Rainbow Dash and I discuss Hearth's Warming Eve, which I realize is tomorrow after she brings it up.

I ask her if she has anything planned, and she replies that her and five friends plan on having dinner together at Sugarcube Corner. She invites me to join them, and I refuse at first, stating that it's her night to have fun with her friends. However, she insists that I won't have anything else to do; Cloudsdale and Ponyville will be virtually empty by dinnertime, and that Hearth's Warming Eve was about being around other ponies and enjoying their company (and stuff). It seems she's set her mind, so I agree to go with her. I let Dash know I'll be trying to stay uninvolved because again, it is her dinner with her friends, and she says she is fine with that.

We say our good night's and I head off to the living room's couch, the comfiest couch ever known to anyone. My wings are slightly cramping, and I fall asleep from more physical than mental tiredness.
> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I can feel my left ear twitch in the direction of a sound I hear in front of me. It's a whirring sound, one that I have certainly heard before, but can't quite place. I open an eye to see what it is. I see a sideways tortoise hovering in the air in front of me; a helicopter-like contraption creates the whirring sound I am hearing. No, wait, the tortoise, who I recognize as Tank, is not sideways, I am. I open both eyes all the way and lean up to a sitting position on the fluffy white couch.

I blink a few times, trying to get my eyes to feel more awake and focused. I look over at Tank, who now hovers eye-level with me to my right, and smile. "Hey, Tank," I whisper. I turn away from the hovering reptile and look down to the floor in front of the couch. I lean forward and place my front hooves on the ground, wheelbarrow-ing forward a few steps before letting my back hooves make contact with the floor. I squeeze my eyes shut and stretch out as many muscles as I can at once. I feel my wings unfold from my sides and flare outward and upward as I do so. I relax and open my eyes, smiling a little with an overall feeling of contentment.

Tank whirs over to hover beside me. I watch him for a moment. He begins to blink...slowly. It takes about five seconds before his eyes return to being fully open. My smile turns to a grin at thinking of the irony of one of the slowest creatures in this world being the pet of one of the fastest ponies to exist. Speaking of said pony... I trot towards the staircase and begin heading down to the kitchen floor.

It seems fairly quiet in Rainbow Dash's house this morning. I step down the last of the stairs and into the kitchen, and find that the room is empty. It shows no sign of an attempt at cooking or even eating. I trot over to the door leading outside and nudge it open, walking out. Tank follows me out, quietly whirring to my back. I feel a small gust of chilly wind as I exit Rainbow's house. I look around, squinting in the bright morning sun, and don't see her. A glance to the sky and a peek around the sides of her house show no sign of her, either. I wonder what time it is? I raise a hoof to my forehead and glance towards the sun. It seems to hang a little lower than what I usually see in the sky. I'm guessing it's around 10 A.M., being that I normally seem to wake up around 11 A.M. I trot back through the door, making sure Tank comes in behind me.

Dash must not be up yet...

What to do? A bubbling noise in my stomach provides a good answer. I trot over to the small, white icebox that sits in the corner of the kitchen. I lift the lid. Inside are a few apples, mainly red ones, and a pretty good supply of carrots. I decide to even out the inventory a little a grab a carrot in my mouth. I turn around, letting the icebox lid shut. I see Tank hovering nearly directly in front of my face, and I go a little cross-eyed. I set the carrot down on a nearby counter.

"Oh, you probably want food, don't you? Feel like a carrot?" I ask Tank the tortoise in a low voice, nearly a whisper. He slowly tilts his head downward, then back up. I tilt my head over to the carrot lying on the cloud counter. "You can have that one if you want." He hovers down to the counter top and sets down atop it, his rotor blades ceasing their spinning. He begins to lean in and take a slow bite of the orange vegetable. I smile, pleased, and return to the icebox, grabbing another carrot for myself.

I sit down at the table, biting down on the carrot in my mouth. It splits into three parts, two of which fall onto the soft table. I munch on the carrot third for a short while, then lean down and grab another third of carrot to eat. A warm glow of light streams in through the windows in the kitchen as I eat my breakfast. After finishing the carrot, an idea works its way into my thoughts. I stand up and trot over to the row of cabinets on the wall, propping myself atop the counters and opening one. I actually get the correct cabinet this time, and pull out a plate, gripped in my teeth. I use my head to close the cabinet door, which seems to melt back into the rest of the cloud making up the room when it shuts. 

I set the plate on the counter next to Tank, who is about two bites into his carrot. I smile at how ridiculously slow he does everything. I take a few steps over to the icebox, opening it a third time. I pluck out a carrot first, the best-looking one I see; of course, they all look identically cartoon-ish, so, yeah. I back-trot to the plate on the counter, having a little difficulty spotting the white plate against the equally white cloud surface, and drop the bright root onto it. I move back to the icebox, this time grabbing one of the apples by the stem, and place it, too, on the plate. I push the icebox lid closed with a hoof and trot back to the plate.

"I'll be right back, going to go get Rainbow up, alright?" I ask Tank. Talking to pets is a habit picked up when growing up in a house having a few cats and dogs; I cringe a little at the memory of some past pets, which led to thoughts of my past life, which was leading somewhere I didn't feel like going right now, so I force myself to focus on the tortoise. He begins to turn in my direction, tilting his head up, then back down. I nod back to him and lean down, clamping my teeth down on the rim of the plate, careful to keep it level as I lift my head back up.

My eyes cross as I watch the two items on the plate, making sure they don't fall off as I make my way to the staircase. I bump my right foreleg on the low table and nearly trip. I slow down a little, eventually reaching the stairs. Climbing the cloud staircase seems to take forever. It seems like I take an hour just to reach the second floor's entrance without spilling the contents of the platter. I climb a bit faster once I reach the next segment of stairs, and reach the entrance to Rainbow Dash's room without dropping the food. I move my focus away from the food, which I figure is basically free and clear, to Dash's bedroom. 

A quick scan shows that the room remains the same overall. The dresser still has a scarf and a sock hanging out of it, the rainbow colors of both items contrasting the plain white of the cloud furniture. The bedside table to the right of the bed still holds a stack of books, though a few now lay on the ground in front of the table in a smaller pile. The other bedside table still holds the picture of the six pony friends, and a new Daring Do book atop it. And, finally, there is a pony-sized lump under the covers of the bed in the middle of the room.

I silently plod over to the left of the bed; it isn't hard to be silent, clouds seem to absorb hoofsteps pretty well. As I approach the side of the bed, plate of morsels still gripped in my teeth, I see the rest of the lump.

Rainbow Dash lies under the covers of the bed. They are pulled up to her shoulders. She seems to be sleeping on her side or stomach, I can't tell. Her arms are tucked beneath a pillow, on top of which her head rests; it's like she's resting her head on her arms, but the pillow is sandwiched in-between. Her left ear, which is exposed, sits halfway flat against her head. Dash snores quietly, her mouth opening to take in air, and then narrowing to let it out with a vocal sigh.

God, right in the d'awww. Despite the feeling that I'm being a little weird, I stand next to the bed and just watch her sleep for a minute. I can't help it, it's so damned cute. My mouth is starting to feel odd from my teeth being half-bared for an extended period of time. Damn. I wish that I could just watch her sleep longer, but I know I can't. I lean in towards the bed, setting the plate down on an open area of bed in front of her face. I release the plate from my jaws, pulling my head back. I realize that I haven't been breathing, and inhale quietly. 

Hmm. How should I wake her up? She continues to lightly snore. So god damned cute. If I tap her or something, she might react and judo-chop me or something. It's probably best to just talk to her until she wakes up. I remember my mom doing that for me...not now. I push the thought away and focus back on Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow Dash," I whisper. She snores back in response.

"Rainbow Dash," I repeat, this time feeling my vocal cords vibrate a little. My voice sounds quiet and deep in the near-silent room. She makes a little groaning noise, then resumes snoring softly.

"Rainbow Dash, wake up." My voice is clearly audible to my ears, now, and still holds a lower tone. Her snoring changes to breathing. I can see her head move a little, and then she opens her eyes a crack. I can see her large, black pupils shrink down a little at the change in light, from the blackness behind eyelids to the morning's light. Rainbow's magenta irises seem to increase in size as her pupils get smaller. Her eyes open a little more, and she glances down towards her bed. She sees the plate that lies there, containing an apple and a carrot. I can see her eyebrows raise a little in question, then she glances upward, to me standing beside her bed. Dash's eyes open all the way in recognition, her magenta eyes seeming to reflect some of the light in the room.

"Hey there," I say, smiling. "Happy Hearth's Warming Eve?" I half-say, half-question, glancing down at the plate of food in front of her and grinning.

She snorts a little. "Thanks, Ferrum. Happy Hearth's Warming Eve." Rainbow Dash pushes herself up a little, propping herself up against the headboard of the bed. She grabs the plate with a hoof and moves it onto her still-covered lap; I am tempted to ask how that is even possible, but know there won't be any explanation for how ponies pick up things with their hooves. I feel your pain, Dr. Whooves.

"Yep," I reply. "I wasn't sure if you liked carrots or not, so I grabbed an apple, too. Never seen you eat a carrot, so..."

"Nah, I like carrots. Not as much as apples, but they're still pretty good," she says, biting into the carrot afterward.

Unsure of what to do with myself, and knowing watching her eat would probably look creepy, I continue the conversation. "So, yeah, Tank woke me up this morning. He's probably still working on a carrot downstairs..."

Dash swallows her bite of carrot. "Sorry 'bout that. He gets up pretty early, might've been bored. He'll wake me up sometimes, too." She leans down and steals another bite of carrot, basically finishing the vegetable.

I half-close my eyes and put out a foreleg. "Nah, it's no big deal. I used to have cats, and they were a lot worse about waking you up." Rainbow chuckles in agreement before moving on to take a bite of apple. Must be pretty hungry this morning. I stand quietly, looking around the room at nothing in particular. My eyes fall onto the stack of books opposite me. I raise my right foreleg and motion towards the stack. "How many of those have you read?"

She turns over to look at the stack, then leans over to look at the floor on the other side of the bed. Rainbow Dash motions with her own foreleg towards the bedside table nearest me, at the book upon it, and swallows before saying, "That's my fifth one so far. I just started reading these a few months ago. Twilight's letting me borrow as many as I want from the library...it's a pretty good series."

I glance back at the pile of mainly Daring Do books. "Seems like it," I agree. I note the more technical books in the stack again. "Did Twilight give you those ones on flying and stuff?"

Rainbow frowns a little. "Yeah, said I could have 'em as long as I didn't lose 'em or anything."

I smile. "I'm guessing you've never read them, and don't plan to?" I inquire, a playful hint in my voice.

She looks a bit embarrassed. "Heh, yeah. How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess?" I say, grinning.

She smiles back. "What, did you want to read them?"

"No, didn't plan on it," I reply. "I'm not that much of an egghead." I continue to grin playfully.

She feigns deep thought for a moment. "Yeah, you are," she says, also grinning. I snort in response, and she returns to eating the apple. Dash soon finishes her apple, leaving her core on the plate.

"I got it," I tell her, and grab the plate filled with an apple core and a carrot's remnants on it in my mouth. I see the faintest tinge of pink reach her cheeks, and she smiles. I step back from the side of the bed, trotting a little towards the entrance to the staircase. She kicks off the remaining covers and hops out of her bed, then begins to trot to where I stand. I begin making my way down the stairs, still trying to be careful not to tip the plate.

In the kitchen, I trot over to the trash can and tilt the plate in, placing the empty plate in the indentation in the cloud counters that is a sink. I turn back to Rainbow Dash.

"Well, we went to Cloudsdale yesterday. Feel like seeing Ponyville today, before we go to Sugarcube Corner tonight?" she asks me.

I spread my black wings out, then let them fall back to my sides. They don't feel tired anymore, and stretching them sounds like an excellent idea. Plus, I really do want to see Ponyville. "That sounds awesome. Ready to go?" 

"Actually, it's probably gonna be pretty cold down there on the ground. I'm going to grab a scarf. Want one?" replies Rainbow.

I think back to her color choice for scarves. "Uhh...I'll be alright."

"Okay, be right back," she says, before galloping off up the stairs. I can hear some faint rustling fairly high above me, then the thunka-thunka-thunka-thunka of Dash returning down the stairs. She appears at foot of the stairs, clothed in only a multicolored scarf that is wrapped around her neck. It obviously suits her. I am tempted to make a comment about the amount of time exactly she was gone in reference to a meme, but stifle myself. "Now I'm ready," says Rainbow Dash.

I smile and push open the door, waiting for her to exit her house before letting it swing shut. We walk over to the edge of her cloud residence. I peer down. There sits Ponyville, covered in a blanket of white snow and polka-dotted by many multicolored ponies. 

"Watch this," I hear Rainbow Dash say at my side. A second later, I am watching Rainbow Dash jump off of the cloud, wings tucked in at her sides. A part of me panics for a moment, but I remember that Dash is no amateur. I watch as her cyan blue form falls, farther and farther, closer and closer to the earth. I can feel myself starting to wince as the dot that is Rainbow gets extremely close to the ground. When she seems like she's about to hit the ground, I see her wings flare out, and she glides over top of a lot of Ponyville before circling back and landing on the outskirts, directly below her cloud home.

Well, fuck. I stare downwards at the light blue dot amidst the white snow. I've lost it if I'm going to do this. I am fairly sure I've already lost my mind anyways, or at least have the right to do so. I'm a pony, for Christ's sake. Well...Geronimo! I push off with my hind legs and tuck my wings in tightly to my sides, angling forward as I leap off of the cloud.

My mind screams that this is a bad idea as I begin falling. The wind roars past my face, and even as I squint I'm blinking away tears. The ground is racing towards my outstretched forelegs as I dive to what the intelligent part of my brain assumes to be its doom. As I get closer and closer to the ground where Ponyville lies, I can start to see more detail. I can see the hoofprints in the roads, created by the multitude of ponies that reside in the town. Some pegasi fly around, but there are mainly grounded ponies amongst the streets. I see that a couple of ponies are watching me free fall.

Some part of my brain begins coaching me. Closer...closer...wait for it...now! I force my wings open around seventy-five feet above the street level. I can feel a parachute-like effect hit my body, my organs all smacking the bottom of me as I level out. I find that I am flying, gliding at an amazing speed, perfectly level about thirty feet over Ponyville. The houses, streets, and ponies rush by in a blur of motion. I remember that I need to return to Rainbow Dash, and tilt my wings to perform a wide half-circle. I continue to glide on my own momentum until I see where she stands in the snow, waving up at me. I tilt my wings forward, slowing me down almost instantly, and lower myself to the ground, settling with a thud.

I can see Rainbow's lips moving, but I can't hear anything. My heart pounds hard in my ears. I feel tingly all over, and pumped up with energy. I realize I'm breathing pretty fast, and slow myself down. The pounding begins to lessen.

"What?" I ask.

"I said, that was radical! You totally nailed that dive. You shoulda seen the looks on some pony's faces!" she replies energetically.

I chuckle, grinning and somewhat out of breath. "Thanks. Yours looked pretty crazy from up at your house. I wish I could've been down here to see it, it looked awesome."

"Felt pretty awesome, too," she replies. "I don't like falling, but that stuff is fun!"

"Definitely," I agree. "Alright, so...where are we?" I look around and see that we are on the outskirts of Ponyville. Only one house sits secluded on a trail that branches off of the bridge leading into the town. I recognize the house. "Is this Fluttershy's house?"

She seems a bit taken aback that I know this, but then must remember the biggest factor of who I am. "Oh, yeah, this is her place. She lives out here because she likes the peace and quiet, and the animals and stuff."

"Ah, alright."

"You'll get to meet her tonight at the Hearth's Warming Eve party-thing. Come on, let's go into town. Watch your step by the way, we don't have shoes on."

She begins trotting towards the bridge. I follow, listening as our combined hooves make a mess of clip's and clop's. A train of thought begins rolling in my head. I'll get to meet the rest of the Mane Six tonight, in fact. I smile to myself. Every brony ever's dream will come true for me, I think, admittedly a little greedily. Could I be greedy just because I had died in a fiery explosion that undoubtedly wiped out Earth? No, I could not, I scold myself. I notice that more and more houses are appearing as we enter Ponyville. All of them have a Nordic stylization to them, most made mainly of wooden support beams and paneling. A few other ponies pass Rainbow and I as we trot along, some idly looking around, others chatting with each other.

The amount of ponies is steadily increasing the further we head into town. I'm lucky Rainbow Dash is an easy pony to spot. As I look around, still trotting forward, I see ponies going about all kinds of business. There are ponies sweeping outside their homes, ponies moving through alleyways between houses, ponies putting scarves and even some hats on their foals, ponies everywhere. I return my attention to following Dash. I notice that a passersby will say hello to Rainbow Dash every so often, to which she'll return a nod and a smile in their direction or say hello back.

It seems by now that we've reached the town's center. There are ponies all over the place. There are virtually no houses in this area, all of them replaced by shops, surrounding the large town hall at the center. I see restaurants with ponies eating outside; I note two familiar ponies sitting at a table outside one place. One, who is a sea-green unicorn, is sitting like a human might on a chair while the other, a pale yellow one, frowns at her and talks to her. Shops fill the area, too. I glance over a few and notice one purely made of stone; outside it hangs a hammer-and-anvil symbol, and I make a quick note of its location. I continue to glance around the various shops and markets in the area, and I spot Big Macintosh helping a pair of customers at the Apple family's stand in the town center. The pair of customers also look familiar. One I instantly recognize as Derpy, and the other is a brown earth pony with an hourglass cutie mark. I'm tempted to go ask the brown one a few questions, mainly based on how to pick up things as ponies do, but I can hear Rainbow Dash talking.

"Ferrum!"

"Huh?" I reply, turning to her.

She smiles and laughs a little. Rainbow turns and points a foreleg towards a building, one that is very colorful and appears to be a bakery, judging by the pastries and other baked goods sitting in its windows. "That's Sugarcube Corner, where we'll be going tonight," she half-shouts over the bustling of the crowd. "Oh, and Pinkie Pie lives there, if you didn't know."

I nod, and she trots off, changing direction. It seems the town is set up so that there are four main roads, all of them intersecting in the middle of town. She has turned right, and I follow her onto the new road. The noise of area eventually lowers as we move away from the main intersection. Dash stops again and points at a building we are nearby. "The pink and purple place is Carousel Boutique. Rarity lives there, and sells the dresses and stuff she makes out of it."

"Alright," I reply, already knowing most of that, but enjoying the tour anyways. It's nice to actually see where these places are located in relation to the rest of Ponyville. Plus, I get to hang out with Rainbow Dash; can't get any better than that.

She laughs a little and turns around, fully facing me. "We gotta go back that way, now..." I move to the side and she passes, and I follow behind her. We head back to the town center, make our way through the mess of ponies shopping, eating, and selling their goods and services, and continue to the main road opposite the one we were just on. This time, we walk to what seems to be the very end of the road, which ends in some sort of cul-de-sac. A large tree takes up most of the area; I recognize this to be--

"That's Twilight's place. Princess Celestia put her in charge of the library, so she lives there, too. Only an egghead could like books enough to pretty much live in them," Rainbow says, finishing my thought. I chuckle in agreement; I enjoy books, but that many is just a little ridiculous. And informative books like those Twilight seems to love so much are nothing at all like Tom Clancy novels; more like my old Physics textbooks.

Dash turns to me, half-smiling. "We got one more place I'd like to show you, but it will be easier to get there if we fly. Cool with you?" she asks.

I nod. "Cool with me," I reply, opening my wings a little to show I'm ready. She lifts off into the air, waiting for me to follow. I jump off the ground and beat my wings, hovering up to her level. Then, she begins flying at a fairly slow pace. I take the opportunity of traveling at a low rate to look around below me as we fly over Ponyville. Many of the houses look the same, and there are hundreds, even thousands of these Nordic style wooden houses, spread in circles around the town's center. Some other landmarks stick out in between the small houses. I see the hospital sitting near the outskirts of the town. I can see the school, too; despite being Monday, it seems devoid of activity, likely due to the holiday. I even see what appears to be a bowling alley in the town, judging by he bowling ball and pins sitting atop it in sign form. I also see what looks to be a warehouse, made of brick. It catches my eye because of how it seems to stick out in the generally country-town look that Ponyville gives off; I decide to investigate it later.

I turn my head forward again. Rainbow Dash continues to fly towards what I now see is the mass of farmland outside Ponyville. The dirt that would hold thousands of pounds worth of crops are currently covered in smooth white snow. A forest of deciduous trees sit bare, save for the icicles that appear on some of their branches. It makes them sparkle with the afternoon sun. At the top of a good sized hill, overlooking the tree farm and all of Ponyville, is a red barn/house combination. It is massive, as most farmhouses are. Smaller red structures sit to one side of the large barn; they seem to be coops and pens. Rainbow stops moving, hovering just outside of where the huge property begins, and looks over her shoulder at me.

"And that," she says, aiming a hoof in the direction of the farmhouse, "is Sweet Apple Acres. My friend Applejack lives there, with the rest of the Apple family. Her Granny Smith pretty much founded Ponyville."

"Wow...this place is massive," I reply, in awe of how large the farm actually is. "So just Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Applebloom farm and maintain all this, every year?" I ask; the farmland in Ohio could get extensive, but this place is just enormous. And they don't even use modern farming equipment...

"Yeah, pretty much. Me and my other friends will help them out sometimes, but they do most of the work, bucking apples and stuff," Dash explains.

"Just...wow. Are they the only farm in Ponyville?"

"Mm-hmm," she says, nodding. "They mainly take care of the apple trees, but yeah, they own all this." Rainbow Dash pauses, staring back out over the farm again. She turns back to me a moment later. "Well, that's pretty much Ponyville. Or at least, where I go. I usually just hang out at my friends' places, or out here at the farm. I go into the town square for food and stuff, but not really anywhere else."

"Well, I guess when you're a pegasus, you can go anywhere you want any time, so that makes sense," I conclude aloud. Why see the rest of Ponyville when you can see the world? After a pause, I say, "Thanks for the tour of Ponyville. It was nice. I like seeing it this time of year." I smile appreciatively.

Rainbow laughs a little. "No problem. Figured you might have wanted to look around before you came here tonight, anyways."

I think of the time and of our planned dinner, and glance up into the sky. The sun is sitting somewhat low in the sky, but the color of the sky has not changed as of yet, still retaining its light blue hue. Time seems to have passed pretty fast since I dove off of Dash's cloud home. "What time are you supposed to meet your friends, anyways?" I ask.

She also looks up into the sky, appearing to also be estimating the time, as I am. My guess is that it's around four or five P.M. as of now. "Uhh...I think Twilight told me to be there close to sunset. We have a little time before we need to go, I think."

I frown a little in thought, wondering what to do to pass the time. "What if we walk there, from here? Trot, I mean." I shake my head a little, remembering that I need to use pony terminology. 

Rainbow Dash gives a slight smirk at my slip-up and shrugs. "Sure, why not?" She begins lowering herself to the ground outside Sweet Apple Acres, dropping a few feet at a time. I follow suit, my landing causing some powdery snow to billow out from under my hooves. I turn my head and smile at her, starting to trot back into the town. She matches my pace, trotting to my right.
> Chapter 10
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	We first come across another cobblestone bridge, like the one we crossed when first entering Ponyville on the opposite side of town. The sound of hoofsteps changes from a muffled thump of hooves on snow-covered dirt to a clip-clop of hooves on snow-covered stone. I look over the side of the bridge as we trot over it, seeing that the river beneath it, which seems to stretch across the outskirts of Ponyville, is frozen over, glistening as it refracts the sun's light. I see a few other bridges crossing over the same river, a few hundred yards apart. The sound my hooves generate returns to the thump of the dirt road leading back into Ponyville from Sweet Apple Acres.

The amount of houses continues to increase as we slowly trot along. There are significantly less ponies filling the roads now; I'm guessing they're joining their own families to spend Hearth's Warming Eve together. I look down a little, seeing more of the white snow on the ground, distorted by hoof-shaped prints in it. My thoughts drift to my own family. My mind attempts to push these thoughts away, as I have been, but they continue to persist. I wish I could have spent more time with them. A part of me tells me that I couldn't have known what would happen, no one could have, and that I bore no fault. My family had known I loved them, and I know they loved me, too. I still can't help feeling guilty, though. It would have been nice to spend my last moments on Earth with them.

I don't like moping around, I never have. Being depressed sucks, and makes everyone else depressed, too. At least you couldn't have ended up in a better place, I tell myself. I agree with my conscience, because I know it is right. Despite my family being gone, at least to my knowledge, I'm in a place I'd never dreamed I would end up in. Not a perfect world, though it sure seems like it, it is most definitely better than Earth. The world itself seems kinder, untouched by war, death, plagues, the things that made Earth a hard place to live. I am fine with the pain that still exists, and am in fact grateful for it; pain is how I know I really exist. Physical or mental pain, it doesn't matter, pain lets me know that I'm still a being, still existing, that I still have a soul. And to help you get through any pain you find are a generally very nice bunch of ponies.

I hope that my family, my friends, every other soul that I cared about, and those that were good souls, are in as good a place as I am. I don't know if I'm alone or not here, unlike anyone else in this world or one of many. Maybe I would find out in time. With this thought I feel somewhat empty; I don't want to be alone. I know that I am not, not really. I think that I mean I want to have someone else who understands. Something like that. I really can't tell. My thoughts are interrupted by a feeling on my back, near my where my right wing connects to it.

I look up, surprised at the new feeling. I look over to my right and see Rainbow Dash looking at me with a worried look on her face. I notice we aren't moving anymore, but we've somehow reached the town square again. Only a few ponies mill around. I notice the sky is now beginning to turn orange. How long have we been walk--trotting? My eyes return to Rainbow, and I see now in my field of view that her left foreleg is outstretched, disappearing from my vision near my own body. I can feel the area on my back again, and realize Dash's foreleg is on my back. Her leg feels warm on my fur; maybe I'm just cold. Her own fur feels soft against my own. I realize that I do actually feel cold at the moment, and resist the urge to shiver. I feel like putting her warm hoof all over my face, absorbing the warmth.

"You okay, Ferrum?" she asks quietly.

I feel a little embarrassed. I didn't intend to display my feelings, but I assume I must look distressed or something. I attempt a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just...thinking," I respond.

She frowns a little. "Alright," she says, still quiet. She smiles a little before continuing. "We're here, at Sugarcube Corner. We might be a bit early."

The thought of the dinner distracts me. I smile, for real this time. "Oh, Okay. We going in?"

"Yeah, come on," she replies, trotting towards the extravagant looking building. As we approach it, I can see various cakes, cupcakes, pies, and other colorful desserts sitting in the shop windows. They look delicious; and ridiculously sweet. Rainbow Dash reaches the door and pushes it open with her nose, and I follow in behind her. I feel a blast of warm air as I enter the shop; it feels excellent, and I realize just how cold it actually is outside. The interior of Sugarcube Corner is fairly open. A few doorways lead to other portions of the store/house combination. A counter sits near the middle of the room; it is also a glass display case, holding many cupcakes of all colors inside, a few cakes with various things written on them (most of those in the display case read "Happy Hearth's Warming Eve" in icing), and other desserts I cannot name but look tasty. I spot a few tables off to the side of the room. One appears to be a few small tables joined together to form a larger one. A multitude of stools surround the larger table. The room in general and all of its furniture and fillings are almost obnoxious from how much pink, green, blue, and other light Easter-egg-hued colors fill it.

I hear some hoofsteps from a room that seems to be behind the counter. Out of a doorway behind the counter comes one pony, a stout, yellow mare, who I recognize as Mrs. Cake, co-owner of the shop Rainbow Dash and I stand in. The other co-owner and her husband, Mr. Cake, comes out of the same doorway a moment later. Both smile upon seeing Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow Dash, how nice to see you!" says Mrs. Cake cheerfully. "You're a wee bit early, but I bet your other friends will be here soon. Pinkie is upstairs getting ready." Her eyes move over to me, still holding a cheerful look. "Who's your friend?" she asks.

"Hey Missus Cake! This is my friend, Ferrum. He'll be joining us for dinner tonight, if that's okay with you guys." I smile a friendly smile towards the Cakes. I also smile inwardly. I'm Rainbow Dash's friend; awesome! The "forever alone" meme pops into my head, and I nearly laugh at my own thoughts.

Mr. Cake pipes up this time. "He is most certainly welcome to stay, as long as he has a sweet tooth!" he jokes, chuckling afterward.

His wife adds, "It's nice to meet you, Ferrum." I remember my manners and take a few steps towards the counter. I reach my right foreleg over top of the counter, outstretched in my intention to shake...hooves. I nearly pull my arm back in, wondering if ponies greet each other by shaking hooves, when I see the Cakes also moving forward, their intentions appearing to match mine.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Mister and Missus Cake," I say as I grasp first Mrs. Cake's hoof, lightly, then Mr. Cake's, more firmly; there is a proper etiquette for shaking hands, and hooves, gently and kindly with females, and firmly and confidently with males, but not too much so, or so I learned as a kid. Hoofshakes seem somewhat odd to me, being that it's more wrapping one's hoof around the others' and then shaking up and down, since you can't really grip their hoof. After I pull my foreleg back in, I back up to my previous place beside Dash.

"Well, I'll go get Pinkie Pie for you two. She should be ready by now..." says Mrs. Cake, trailing off as she turns back into the doorway and disappearing. Mr. Cake smiles and nods to us, then follows his spouse out of the room.  I glance over at Rainbow and smile to her, not really for any reason. She smiles back. I turn away, glancing around the room idly while waiting for Pinkie.

Wait...I'm meeting Pinkie for the first time and...oh, God...

As if on cue, a pink earth pony comes bouncing, literally bouncing, through the doorway that the Cakes exited out of. Her hair is frizzy and wild-looking, and is also pink, and her cutie mark shows three multicolored balloons. A smile seems locked on to her face, and she seems to glow with happiness and energy. I wonder if she's ever experienced lockjaw from too much smiling before. She spots Rainbow Dash immediately and jumps cleanly over the counter, not bothering to use the door that opens the counter into the rest of the room. Pinkie Pie hops up to her and squeezes her around the neck.

"Dashie!" she cries in glee. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here! Happy Hearth's Warming Eve! You're kind of early, but everyone else should get here soon! Oh, this party is going to be great! I love Hearth's Warming Eve!" She is squeezing Dash's neck tighter and tighter as she talks rapidly; I can see Rainbow turning a shade of purple.

"Pinkie...can't...breathe!" she manages to gasp. Pinkie Pie releases her constrictive grip on Rainbow Dash's neck, and Dash gasps for breath. 

"Sorry, Dashie!" she says, still grinning ear-to-ear. I get the feeling she isn't apologetic at all. Pinkie then turns and sees me, standing to the side of Dash. Her eyes begin to widen, along with her pupils. I'm a little scared, because I'm pretty sure that only happens to people on drugs or when the light changes; and I don't think Pinkie is experiencing either. Maybe the former, if one could consider sugar a drug. Suddenly her mouth opens wide and she gasps. I wonder how big her lungs must be to create that big of a gasp. 

Deciding to stop what I know will come next, I hold up a hoof. "Pinkie, wait!" I say. She stops gasping, but her face remains that same, quite comically in fact. "Don't freak out," I tell her, hoping she'll calm down.

Her face seems to mimic that painting where the guy is screaming for a moment longer. Then, it is replaced by a cheerful smile. "Okie dokie lokie!" I'm a little surprised she actually calmed down. I hold out my right foreleg towards her.

"I'm Ferrum. It's nice to meet you, Pinkie Pie," I say, a little cautiously. She stares at me, continuing to wear a huge smile, then, fast as a snake, grabs my outstretched leg with both her own forelegs and begins wildly shaking it up and down. My arm feel like it's about to be ripped from its socket, and my head is bobbing from how hard she is shaking my hoof.

"Hi, Ferrum! You're new in Ponyville! I haven't seen you around, and I'm friends with everyone in Ponyville!" She pauses only to gasp again. "I need to throw you a "Welcome-to-Ponyville-Ferrum party! What kind of cupcakes do you like? And music? And decorations? And--"

"Pinkie," I cut her off. "I'm honored, but we can figure out a "Welcome-to-Ponyville-Ferrum party another time. Tonight is the Hearth's Warming Eve party, okay?"

"Okay!" Pinkie says, then turns back to Rainbow Dash, who has been watching in some degree of amusement this whole time. I notice that her scarf is gone, now lying in a pile in the corner of the room. "Oh, Dashie, this is going to be great! We've got cake, and cupcakes, and these chocolately-choco-chocolate brownies I made! And everyone's going to come, you, me, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, even Spike, and now Ferrum, too! This will be, like, the best Hearth's Warming Eve yet!"

Rainbow chuckles and smiles at Pinkie Pie. "Yeah, it's going to be awesome," she agrees.

"Ooh!" cries Pinkie. "I'm going to go get the cake, and the cookies, and the brownies! Be right back!" And with that, she quickly hops out of the room. I glance over at Rainbow Dash and grin, amused at Pinkie Pie's antics. She returns the grin, equally humored. I hear the door open behind us and turn around. In trots an orange earth pony with a blond mane and a cowboy hat. Her cutie mark is of three apples. She holds her hat with one foreleg, resisting the cold wind that threatens to blow it off.

"Whoo-ee!" she says, to no one in particular, closing the door behind her and closing off the current of cold air. A Southern U.S. accent heavily influences her voice. "It's a mite chilly out there, I reckon." She spots Rainbow Dash first. What, do I blend in with the shadows in the room? "Hey there, Rainbow Dash, Happy Hearth's Warmin' Eve to yah." She turns to me. "Ah haven't seen you 'round here before, what's yer name?"

"I'm Ferrum. It's nice to meet you, Miss...?" I hold out my foreleg again. I'm trying to sound polite, but I know Applejack probably won't take well to being called "miss", and smile a little inwardly.

"Applejack," she states, grabbing my hoof and shaking it firmly. "Ain't no 'miss', either, just Applejack," she says, smiling. She eyes me up and down for a moment, then asks, "So, why're yah joinin' us tonight?" she asks, not in a mean way, but in a truly questioning way.

I go to open my mouth to reply, but Rainbow does so for me. "He's been hanging out with me, and he didn't have any place to go for Hearth's Warming Eve, so I invited him to come along with me. Cool with you?" she asks Applejack.

"That's fine by me," replies Applejack, smiling at me. "Nice tah meet yah, too, Ferrum." I return the smile, and Applejack turns back to Dash. They begin to chat idly, and I trot slowly around the room. A few minutes later, as I am staring at my hooves, tapping them to music I hear only in my head, the door swings open yet again. My fur stands on end at the rush of cold air that flows into the warm room. I hear a small squeaking kind of noise and look up at the door.

The pony who just entered is now removing her light pink scarf, tentatively placing it on the floor next to Rainbow Dash's multicolored scarf. She is a pale yellow pony, a pegasus, like Dash and I, with a light pink mane that curls around a little. A picture of three butterflies of various colors marks her flank. She sees Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and gives a small smile.

"Hello, Rainbow Dash, hello, Applejack. Happy Hearth's Warming Eve," says Fluttershy in a soft voice. She notices me fairly quickly, and seems to shrink back a little. "Oh...h-hello..." she whispers at me.

"Hi, my name's Ferrum," I introduce myself, taking a few steps towards her and holding out my right foreleg, smiling as non-menacingly as I can. 

"I'm....Fluttershy..." she squeaks. I'm hardly sure she's even talking. She lifts her own foreleg and gently brushes it against mine, moving her leg a fraction of an inch up and down before retreating. I can't help but smile at her shyness. 

I hear a semi-distant springing noise, and in bounds Pinkie Pie. I turn and see she has all sorts of desserts balanced on her head, nose, and back, various platters filled with cookies, cakes, and some brownies. "Hiya Fluttershy, hiya Applejack! Did you meet Ferrum? He's Dashie's friend, and he's new in Ponyville! He's going to spend Hearth's Warming Eve with us! Isn't it great?" she says in one breath. I don't understand how she can balance the platters she carries while bouncing up and down like a jackhammer, but she does, and sets them all on the large table in the room in one swift motion.

Fluttershy seems to shrink down more. It's making me feel very tall, too tall in fact. I think I can hear her whisper "Oh, my..." but I decide to leave her be and smile, turning away and giving her some space. I hope I haven't intimidated her by being a tall pony. 

Pinkie Pie carries on, bounding over to where Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and I stand, and where Fluttershy half-lies on the floor. "Now we're just missing Rarity and--"

A noise outside the door cuts her off. It sounds like something from a sci-fi movie. A second later, a tired-looking purple unicorn, who has a similarly purple mane with a pink stripe and a star-sparkle-thing cutie mark, trots in, followed by a short purple-and-green baby dragon. He looks more like a kid dragon, actually. The unicorn's horn glows a slowly-fading purple. 

"Spike, remind me just to trot next time," says Twilight Sparkle as the door to Sugarcube Corner swings closed behind her. She looks up, noticing her cluster of all but one friend, and cheerfully says, "Hello, everypony! Happy Hearth's Warming Eve!" She hugs each of her friends, nearly suffering the same fate as Rainbow Dash when she hugs Pinkie Pie. Her friends greet her, as well as Spike, who happily returns their greetings. She then turns to me, as does Spike; I think she actually noticed me first when she arrived. It's hard not to, or at least, it should be. Black pony, not-black surroundings, you get the picture. "I haven't seen you before. Are you new in Ponyville?" Twilight inquires.

"Yeah," I reply. "My name's Ferrum. It's nice to meet you." I stick out my leg again; it's getting a little tired from hoofshakes.

"I'm Twilight Sparkle, and it's very nice to meet you, too. Welcome to Ponyville!" she says, taking my outstretched hoof and shaking it. Her hoofshake is very precise; she maintains the same pressure and pull on my hoof, which is fairly light, and moves her leg up and down at equal angles.

"Thanks," I reply. I withdraw my hoof and step back a little, allowing her to join her friends. I turn and look farther downward to the purple and green kid dragon below me. He stretches out his small claw towards me.

As I move my hoof to take it, he says, "Hi, I'm Spike. It's nice to meet you, Ferrum."

Happy to actually be conversing with a male for a change, I respond, "Nice to meet you, too, Spike." His claw digs in a little to my hoof as he grips it. I half-smile, half-wince at him. He smiles back, probably also glad to have a fellow male at the party. I feel a little sorry for the guy, but also envy his swag. Yeah, Spike has swag, don't deny it.

Spike begins to say to the general audience, "Where is Rar--", but like Pinkie Pie, he is interrupted by the sound of the pony he was about to mention arriving. The door swings open and in trots a white unicorn, who has a purple mane, which she flips to one side, and a cutie mark showing three diamond-shaped diamonds. She daintily removes her purple scarf and folds in neatly next to the other scarfs in the corner of Sugarcube Corner's main room.

"Hello, darlings!" cries Rarity. She trots further into the room, seeing Spike first. "Oh, Spikey-wikey, you're here!" she says, hugging him. His eyes seem to glaze over in a trance as she does, and he sighs loudly. I chuckle a little to myself at the lovestruck dragon. She continues on to her five friends, who greet her back and smile at her. She then turns, like the rest of the ponies had, noticing me finally. "Oh, hello, sir! And who might you be?" she asks me.

"I'm Ferrum. It's nice to meet you," I say for the last time that evening. I extend a hoof towards her, and she goes to do the same, but stops near my hoof, letting her own go limp. I recall she takes on a more fancy type of thinking, and understand. I wrap my hoof around her limp hoof, and instead of shaking it, tilt my head towards her. I then withdraw my hoof and return to my full height.

"Oh, such a gentlecolt!" says Rarity dramatically. She eyes me a little, as Applejack seemed to do, and then says, "Darling, your coat is simply fabulous! Never have I seen such a magnificent color of black on a pony!"

I'm taken a little aback by the comment. No other entirely black ponies? That's kind of odd. "Uhh...thanks." I'm not really sure what else to say. 

She turns back to her friends, as do Spike and I. I think I hear her mumble to herself about how tall I am, too, but I'm unsure. Pinkie Pie is the first to say something. "Now that everypony's here, let's eat!" she says, hopping over to the table full of sweets. The small mob of mares follow suit, taking seats on the stools around the table, with me and Spike at the rear. I push myself up onto the stool and attempt to get comfortable. The stools actually seem over-sized, likely to accommodate for how ponies sit. After I've situated myself I take a look at what sits atop the large table created from a few smaller tables.

The platter full of what Pinkie called "chocolatey-choco-chocolate" brownies sits closest to me; they appear to be just as chocolate as their name indicates. There seem to be around fifty of them, piled neatly in a pyramid on the plate. All of them are a deep brown color, and look moist. I can see small chocolate chips embedded within each of the brownies, and to top it off, there is chocolate syrup covering every one of the square desserts. It looks both delicious and sickening at the same time.

In the middle of the table is a platter with a large cake on it. It's almost like a wedding cake in size, actually. It has four different tiers, each positioned a little higher than the last on small pedestals arranged on the platter. From left to right, top to bottom, highest to lowest cake, the cakes read "Happy Hearth's Warming Eve", one word written with red icing on each cake. The cakes seem to vary in flavor; I see one is a vanilla cake, another is chocolate, another is red velvet cake, and the last is a darker chocolate color than the other, possibly a semi-sweet chocolate flavor. Dark brown icing and various green stencils on each of the cakes compliment the red writing atop them.

Farthest from me is a platter full of cookies. There is probably around a hundred of these cookies, though they are relatively small in size. I can see that the cookies have been cut into three semi-distinctive shapes; there are cookies shaped like flowers, those shaped like a unicorn's head from the side, and those shaped like a pair of wings, connected together. All are iced in various colors, making the platter very colorful. My brain informs me that the three cookie designs are likely a reference to the three factions of ponies that joined together to create Hearth's Warming Eve: the earth ponies, the unicorns, and the pegasi. I have a feeling they are sugar cookies, remembering those were popularly used as Christmas cookies on Earth. Extra sugary sugar cookies, if I know Pinkie Pie as well I as I think I do.

Movement in the corner of my eye distracts me from the baked goods on the table in front of me. I glance to my right and see Pinkie standing from her stool, crying, "Oh!" as if she had just remembered something that was forgotten. She disappears from the room momentarily, then returns with plates on her back and a cake knife in her mouth a second later. I watch the knife the whole time as she returns to the table; I had read "Cupcakes". She drops the knife on the table and distributes eight plates from her back, one at each of our places at the table. I watch as she does so, noting the order of the ponies (and dragon) sitting around me.

Spike sits opposite me, at the other end of the table. His chin barely makes it over the table top while he sits on the stool. His eyes follow the plate as Pinkie Pie releases it from her mouth, saying, "Thanks!" to her. Continuing in a counter-clockwise fashion, Pinkie continues to quickly lay plates on the table in front of her guests. She places a white plate in front of Twilight Sparkle, who sits to Spike's right. Twilight says a thank you to Pinkie Pie and smiles at her after the plate settles in front of her. Next to receive a plate is Fluttershy, who whispers a thanks to Pinkie for the plate. Beside Fluttershy, and to my left, sits Applejack. She tips her hat to Pinkie as thanks her plate. Pinkie comes around the table to me. Her head darts out in front of me and from my left, setting a white plate in front of where I sit.

I nod to Pinkie and smile. "Thanks," I say as she continues around the table at a continuous speed. To my right is Rainbow Dash. She seems entranced by the piles of sweets in front of her, and snaps out of her stare when the plate lands in front of her. 

"Thanks, Pinks," she says to Pinkie Pie, who is still continuing around the table. She skips the spot where she is sitting, next to Dash, and places a plate in front of Rarity. Rarity looks back at her and flashes a smile.

"Thank you, darling," says Rarity. Her manner of speaking is starting to annoy me a little. One can only take so much properness. Pinkie returns to her own stool, setting the final plate in front of her own spot. She grins and looks around the table.

"Dig in, everypony!" Pinkie Pie says. Spike and Rainbow Dash are the first to begin filling their plates with various desserts. I watch for a moment as Rainbow Dash scoops a plethora of the ultra-sweet-looking brownies onto her plate. She begins devouring them fairly quickly, like a cyan blue vacuum. She glances up at me, pausing mid-brownie, seeing that I'm staring a little. She gives me a look that asks, What?, then continues to eat her brownies. I shrug and move to grab my own brownies. I use my foreleg like a backhoe, scooping up brownies or shoving them onto my plate instead of picking them up with my mouth, as I have been doing with food. Wouldn't want to look uncouth now, would I? I think, mimicking Rarity's voice in my head and smiling to myself.

I take only two brownies, for now, knowing even that might be the limit on sweetness for me. I glance up from the brownies, and see the other ponies (and dragon) passing around the cookie platter. Pinkie Pie is leaning over the table, slicing the various cakes in the middle of it. The cookies reach me, and I balance the platter on one hoof, taking a couple of cookies off of it with my free hoof before passing it to my right, to Rainbow, who is still tearing into brownies. She pauses momentarily, taking the platter and tilting it towards her plate, dumping a few cookies onto it before passing it off to Pinkie and resuming her hoovering. I snort a little in humor at Dash, then turn back to my plate full of what has to be at least ninety-nine percent sugar.

I eye one of the brownies, deciding to taste it first. I lean down to my plate and bite off a chunk of the brownie. It's moist, as I had thought, and has a nice texture. But god damn, it's rich. It's like eating cocoa beans and a bag of sugar. Tasty, nonetheless, but I know I won't be able to eat more than two, maybe even just one. I take another bite, finding it is as sweet and chocolate-loaded as the last. Pinkie Pie wasn't kidding when she said "chocolatey-choco-chocolate" flavored...

I finish off one of the brownies, and get around halfway through the second before the taste becomes too sweet for me. I look over from the half-eaten brownie on my plate to the untouched cookies. I see that I have acquired two hoof-sized sugar cookies. One is a blue wing-shaped cookie, the other is a yellow unicorn-shaped cookie. I bite off the top half of the unicorn cookie, smiling to myself. It was more fun to do that with gingerbread men. I wonder if they suffered. The cookie is indeed a sugar cookie. The cookie itself is quite delicious, a perfect sugar cookie, in fact; the icing is extremely sweet, though, almost as much so as the brownies. I swallow my bite of yellow cookie and eat the rest of it with another bite. I eat the blue wing-shaped cookie next, first the right wing, then the left. I nearly call it quits when I glance up and spot the red velvet cake, sliced and ready for action.

"Could you pass a piece of red velvet cake, Pinkie?" I ask her. She smiles, furiously nodding, then deposits a piece of the red cake on my plate. The cake looks odd; I realize this is because it lacks distinguishing detail from its cartoon appearance. It just looks like a red triangular prism covered in brown icing and a clipped piece of red lettering. It looks good anyways, though. I lean down and take a large bite of the cake. It is sweet and moist, and the icing, like that of the sugar cookies, is overly sugary. The cake is excellent, though. I hate to admit it, but my own mother couldn't have made it better. I see that my thoughts are about to drift again, and I quickly snatch up another bite of cake. After finishing my piece of cake, I am tempted to ask for another, but decide to slow down and let my stomach and brain catch up to each other.

"So, Ferrum." I glance up in the direction of which my name was called. I see Twilight Sparkle is the source; I lift my chin a little and raise my eyebrows in acknowledgment. "If you don't mind my asking, why aren't you spending tonight with your family?"

I nearly frown, but command myself to instead smile a little. I notice that every pony (and kid dragon) is looking towards me, anticipating an answer. I can see Rainbow Dash giving me a look in my peripheral, though she continues to eat brownies. "Well," I begin, formulating a lie as best I can and as quickly as I can. "I came to Ponyville, but got...delayed...by an injury, before I was about to head back." Back to where, I didn't specify. North, I came from up north if anyone asks.

I'm a little surprised when Fluttershy pops in, more confidently than usual. "Oh my, an injury, you say? Are you alright?" she questions, obviously getting a little worried.

"Yes, I'm fine now," I tell her. I decide to add, maybe a little slyly, "Thanks to Rainbow Dash, here," I finish, nodding in Rainbow's direction and smiling. Dash freezes, halfway through chewing the last brownie that was on her plate. After a moment of surprise at her name being mentioned, her eyes dart to mine for a fraction of a second. She gives me a little glare, and I smile back at her.

Most of the ponies sitting around the table recoil a little; Pinkie is devouring a cookie-and-brownie sandwich, and Spike is swallowing a piece of cake in one bite. "Rainbow Dash, you helped heal Ferrum?" Fluttershy asks; I wonder if she's jealous that she didn't get to heal me instead. Dash stares a few more daggers at me, then swallows her brownie.

"Uh, yeah, it was no big deal, though. Just kinda wrapped up his wing. I didn't even really do a good job," she adds, her cheeks starting to turn a faint pink. It's sort of fun watching Rainbow squirm a little in trying to recover her dignity, honor, whatever it is she's attempting to save face for. I continue to smile at her.

"Rainbow, that was very kind of you," Twilight says.

"I agree," I chime in, grinning at Dash now. I can see she's fighting to keep her embarrassment from showing, but her reddening cheeks show she is losing that battle. I decide to take pity on her, and change the subject. "Pinkie Pie, these desserts are excellent," I say, turning my focus to Pinkie.

"Thanks, Ferrum! Oh, wow, I was like, what should I make for Hearth's Warming Eve? And then Mrs. Cake was like, 'What if you make some cookies?' And then I was like, cookies are boring, but also really good, so I made some! Then I got an idea to make some cake, and I made some cakes and wrote 'Happy Hearth's Warming Eve' on them! And then..." My eyes go unfocused, and my hearing begins to distort. I let myself zone out, because if I don't, Pinkie's going to drive me insane. After a few more minutes that pass somewhat slowly, I hear Pinkie Pie take a breath. I refocus, hearing, "And that's why I think zebras are white with black stripes!" Wha--? I shake my head a little, smiling and nodding to Pinkie.

I look around at the other ponies. Spike seems to have finished eating and is holding his stomach, which seems a little swollen. He's quietly groaning in his seat opposite mine. Rarity is holding a cookie to her mouth with her magic. The cookie has a blue aura around it, which shifts a little as she takes a dainty bite from it. Twilight is eating a brownie, also using her magic to hold the dessert in place. She seems to be eating it very methodically, taking bites that are identical in size. She is chatting quietly with Rarity; I am slightly curious as to if I am involved in the conversation. Fluttershy is nibbling on a piece of vanilla cake, somewhat hunched over and shrunken down on her stool. Life of the party, my mind jokes. Pinkie is now consuming a multitude of cookies. She seems to be biting the heads off of every unicorn cookie she has, making little screams of terror before she does so to a cookie. To my left and right, Applejack and Rainbow Dash seem to be staring each other down.

"Ah bet I kin eat more cookies than yah," Applejack challenges Dash.

"You're on!" replies Rainbow enthusiastically. I watch in amusement as she grabs the platter of cookies and sets it down near them and me. They begin to eat cookies rapidly. This will turn out well...

I inhale deeply, sighing and puffing out my cheeks as I do so. "Well, I'm a little sore. I think I'll leave you mares to your own devices." I glance at Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie, mind if I look around?"

"Mmph mmgh!" she replies, nodding her head. I smile and nod to her in thanks. I watch the epic battle going on in front of me for a moment longer. Both Rainbow and Applejack continue staring each other down, stuffing cookies into their faces. I chuckle a little, then hop down off the stool. I stretch my legs a little, careful not to flare my wings yet. I begin walking towards the opening in the counter, which will allow me to get behind it and exit into another room. 

"I think I'll join him, okay Twilight?" Spike half-asks, half-states while hopping off his stool as well. She nods to him and smiles, glancing back at me before returning her attention to Rarity. I stop and wait for Spike to catch up to me before maneuvering around the counter and into the next room.

The next room Is much more plain than the last, and looks more like a house than a store. There are two couches in the room that sit in front of a lit fireplace. I can feel the warmth of the fire in the room, hearing the occasional pop of a spark and smelling a fresh, smoky smell as well. Some stairs are positioned at the back of the room. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Pinkie Pie, and the Cake foals line the walls of the room. I trot over to one of the couches, moving around to its front and sprawling out on it. I lay on my back, wings outstretched, slumped against one of the arms of the couch. I sigh, and see Spike clamber up on the remaining open portion of the couch I lay on, his small form also sprawling out similarly to how I do.

"Hey, Spike, how you doin'?" I ask him casually.

"Pretty good, thanks. How are you, Ferrum?"

"I'm good as well. Pretty full. Pinkie Pie makes some good desserts."

"Yeah, hers are the best. If only she put gemstones in some of them..." he trails off.

I chuckle a little, then sigh. "I figured I'd let them have some girl time, know what I mean?"

He laughs. "Yeah, I know what you mean." He pauses for a moment. "So, uh, what's your name mean, Ferrum?" My eyebrows raise a little at the question. It's an understandable one, though.

"It means 'iron' in another language. I'm a blacksmith, I make things out of metal, like horseshoes," I reply.

"Cool," he says, pausing again. "So how are you liking Ponyville, since you're new here and all?"

I smile at him. "I like it a lot. There are some pretty great ponies here. And dragons," I add, chuckling a little. Spike laughs, then sighs, sounding bored. I can hear some giggling and whispering coming from the main room of Sugarcube Corner, again wondering if it's directed at something related to me. I decide to keep up the conversation with Spike; I enjoyed talking to kids, always had. They could be pretty funny and didn't usually get sarcasm, which was even funnier. "So, how old are you, Spike?" I ask.

His face lights up a little. "I'm ten years old," he replies.

"What do you like to do?" I continue. Conversations are easy with kids, another aspect I enjoyed about talking to them.

"Well, I usually help Twilight out a lot, move books around and stuff. And I mail letters for Twilight and Princess Celestia. I like gems a lot, they're pretty cool and really tasty. Fire is pretty cool, too, but Twilight says I could get hurt if I play with fire," Spike says, sounding a little downtrodden by his last sentence.

I smile at him. "I agree, fire is cool, but it is dangerous, too. It's pretty cool that you can breathe fire."

"Thanks!" he replies, beaming. I smile as well, pleased I've cheered him up. It's quiet for a moment, then I hear a hiss to my side. I turn, seeing Spike leaned over towards me. He glances around nervously. "Hey, Ferrum?" he whispers.

I raise an eyebrow in question, then lean towards him a little. "Yeah?"

"Can I tell you a secret? You can't tell anypony, okay?"

I smile, nodding. "Okay. I won't, I promise." Seemingly satisfied with my promise, he glances around again, then moves close to my ear, cupping his claws around his mouth.

"I've got a crush on Rarity," he says quickly.

"Really?" I ask in a whisper, with feigned surprise. He nods, showing a small smile.

"You can't tell anypony," he repeats. "I think I'd die if Rarity found out."

I chuckle, smiling to him. "You're secret's safe with me," I assure him. I turn as I hear a noise coming from the back of the room, from the doorway; a purple unicorn takes a few steps into the warm room.

"Hey, you two," says Twilight Sparkle. "Spike, it's getting late. We should probably get going. Sorry," she adds, looking apologetic to Spike.

"Awww, okay. Bye, Ferrum!" Spike hops off of the couch, walking towards the main lobby again. I roll off the couch and do the same, following a few feet behind him. I re-enter the previous room and get around the counter/display case. I look around and see the group of six friends a little more dispersed now. Applejack and Rainbow Dash are laughing, but both look a little in pain, their bellies slightly swollen with what I'm guessing is cookies. Fluttershy is picking up her scarf off the floor, as is Rarity, who uses her magic to wrap it tightly around her neck. Pinkie Pie stands near Twilight as Spike climbs onto Twilight's back, holding onto her neck.

"Bye, everypony! Happy Hearth's Warming Eve!" Twilight says to the ponies in the room. She looks over at me as I clear the counter area. "It was nice to meet you, Ferrum," she says, smiling.

I return the smile, saying, "Thank you, it was nice to meet you as well, Twilight."

"Thanks again, Pinkie!" she says. Her horn begins to glow a bright purple, and an aura begins to envelop her and Spike. I take a few precautionary steps backwards. After a few seconds of the aura glowing brighter and brighter, Twilight Sparkle and Spike disappear from the room with a pop. I blink a little, a bit stunned from seeing Twilight's teleportation firsthand. I turn back to the other ponies. Rarity and Fluttershy are at the door leading outside.

"Oh, Pinkie, this Hearth's Warming Eve party was simply marvelous!" Rarity says. "Thank you so much."

"Oh, yes, thank you, Pinkie," Fluttershy adds quietly.

"No problem, guys!" Pinkie Pie responds cheerfully. "Don't forget, we're having a party for Ferrum soon, too!"

Rarity and Fluttershy both turn to me, now. Rarity glances at Fluttershy and decides to speak for the both of them. "It was very nice meeting you, Ferrum," she says, and Fluttershy smiles and nods a little.

"It was nice to meet you, too, Rarity, and you, Fluttershy," I reply, nodding and smiling at them.

"Goodbye, everypony!" Rarity says before trotting out the door. Fluttershy follows her out. I can feel a gust of cold air wash over my face before dissipating in the warm building.

I see Applejack press a foreleg to her head, shoving her hat down atop it. "Well, ah think I best git goin', too," she drawls. "Thank yah, Pinkie, yer cookies were extra delicious tonight. It was nice tah meet yer acquaintance, Ferrum," she finishes, turned to me now.

"Thanks, Applejack, it was nice meeting you," I reply, hoping I don't sound repetitive. 

The orange pony glances around at Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and I. "Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, ya'll!" Applejack says, smiling before pushing open the door and trotting out. Rainbow Dash turns to me after Applejack leaves.

"Well, you ready to go?" she asks, smiling tiredly.

"Yep, I'm ready," I answer, smiling back the same way. I am actually feeling pretty tired, now that I think about it. Sugar high is wearing off.

Rainbow turns to Pinkie Pie, and moves in to give her friend a one-legged hug. "Thanks, Pinks. Happy Hearth's Warming Eve."

"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, Dashie! Thanks for coming. And thanks for bringing Ferrum, too!" says Pinkie, turning to me.

"I'm glad I could come, and it was nice meeting you, Pinkie. We'll have to work out a welcoming party sometime, okay?" I tell her.

"Okie dokie lokie!" she responds cheerfully. "See you ponies later!"

"See yah," Dash and I reply in unison. I glance over at her and smile, nodding towards the door. She smiles back, and we trot to the door. I speed up a little and push open the door first, holding it for her as she exits into the cold nighttime air. I see that it's completely dark out. The mass of stars and the shining moon in the sky are a shock; one who lives in a city normally doesn't get to see such things because the light from the city overtakes the starlight. I stare up at the stars for a moment, scanning around them. I think I recognize a few constellations, but I'm starting to feel tired and can't remember their names.

I look over at Rainbow Dash. "Have fun?" I ask her.

"Yeah...shouldn't have ate so many cookies, though..." She groans. "You have fun? Getting to meet all my friends and stuff?"

I nod, closing my eyes. "Oh yeah. Your friends are really cool, it was nice to be able to meet them."

"Good..." she says quietly. I can tell Rainbow is getting tired quickly. Damn, her sugar crash is going to be massive...

"Ready to go?" I ask, tilting my head towards the direction of her cloud house. I can see it in the distance, a single white cloud amidst an empty winter sky.

She groans again and laughs. "Not really."

I smile at her. "Come on," I say, then jump into the air, pumping my wings to hover a few feet above her. She looks up at me, then does the same, and we begin to fly upward. I watch her most of the time, glancing at her house every so often to make sure we're still headed the right way. Dash looks more and more tired by the second; I'm watching her in anticipation she'll fall asleep. She doesn't though, and we make it to her house after a few minutes of steady flying.

We land outside her front door. I nudge it open with my nose. Inside her kitchen, Tank greets me by hovering up to my face. I smile at him, then turn back, waiting for Rainbow Dash to come into her house all the way so I can let the door swing shut. She trots in tiredly, already looking half-asleep. I move my rear leg and release the door, starting to head for the stairs. Tank hovers in front of me, traveling up the stairs until I can only hear a faint whirring coming from the top floor. As I'm about to begin climbing the stairs, I feel a warm presence on my left shoulder. I glance down to see what is on me.

I see the top of a rainbow colored mane. Rainbow Dash leans her head against my shoulder, falling asleep. I see her eyelids flickering as they struggle to stay awake. I'm surprised at how warm she feels against me. I carefully stretch out my left wing, moving it over top of her back, then letting it settle gently upon it. I can feel her wings begin to spread a little, as if questioning my own wing's presence, then they relax again. I begin to trot forward, up the stairs, using my wing to help propel her along.

We slowly ascend the staircase. I pass the living room, continuing upward until we reach Rainbow's room on the third floor. As I enter the room, Dash's warm presence still beneath my wing and on my shoulder, I see Tank has settled down to sleep on the leftmost bedside table, atop the Daring Do book Rainbow Dash is reading. I trot with her to the side of her bed, then pull in my left wing, though I don't want to do so. Her warmth is comforting, but I have to pull away. I bite the blankets atop her bed and pull them back, then step back a little. She trots forward and climbs into her bed, eyes completely closed. Dash flops onto her pillow, likely falling asleep instantly.

I grab the blankets in my teeth again and slowly pull them back up the bed, covering her up to the neck. I step away, turning for the stairs. Before I descend, I turn and look at Rainbow a last time in her bed; she is snoring softly, and the covers rise and fall with her breathing. I smile and begin to trot down the stairs.

Feeling tired, I make a beeline for the couch I have overtaken. I flop down on it and sigh, closing my eyes. They burn a little as I do so, but it feels good to close them. I smile and let myself drift off to sleep.
> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	When you sleep late in the day most of the time, you can pretty easily tell when you're up early. Or at least, I think it's fairly early. I feel well rested; my body doesn't hurt, my head doesn't hurt, my eyes don't hurt, and in fact, my eyes feel like they need to be open. I fully open my eyes, and am met with what feels like the light of one thousand suns shoved onto my retinas.

"Gah...fuck..." I mumble quietly to myself, slamming my eyes shut again and bringing my hooves up to them in an attempt to shield myself from the blinding light. I turn my head back into the couch, seeing purple and white spots on my eyes. God damn it. I pull my right foreleg away from my face and move my opposite leg to cover both my eyes, then roll onto the floor, balancing on three legs. I stand there for a moment, not wanting to move or open my eyes. I eventually move my left leg slowly back to the ground, then tentatively open my eyes, squinting.

I can see why I was blinded so badly; the early morning sun is shining directly in through one of the room's windows, right into my face. I turn away from the too-well-lit window and stumble, still half-dazed, to the entrance into the staircase at the other side of the room. I open my eyes a little wider now, blinking and trying to clear the spots that distort my vision. Eventually, parts of my vision stop being purple, and I start to head down the soft stairs that absorb my hooves a little as my weight rests on them. I enter the bottom floor of the floating house.

I'm a little surprised when I see a light blue, rainbow-maned pegasus sitting on the floor in front of the cloud table in the center of the room. A green Granny Smith apple sits in front of Rainbow Dash, a few bites taken out of it. A look at Rainbow tells me she's not a morning person--pony, either. Her mane is more mussed up than usual, some tufts of hair sticking out here and there. Her eyelids are barely open, only showing a small part of her magenta eyes. I spot Tank behind her, on one of the counters, eating a carrot; he looks tired all the time, so I can't tell if he is a fan of mornings or not. Dash leans in groggily for another bite of apple, glancing up a little as she does; her peripheral must catch me. Her eyes open a little more and brighten considerably, the magenta in her eyes going from less of a purple to more of a pink; maybe it's just the light.

"Oh, hey, Ferrum," she says, smiling tiredly. Her voice cracks a little more than usual.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash. Feeling any better today?" I ask, smiling a similar smile back.

"What? Oh, yeah...remind me not to try and eat more cookies than Applejack next time, okay?" Rainbow replies, chuckling.

I laugh quietly. "Got it." I look at her apple, suddenly feeling peckish. "Mind if I grab something to eat?"

"No, go ahead," she answers, taking the bite of her apple she was about to before I trotted in. I go around the table and reach the icebox, opening it and pulling out an apple of my own, also green; she seems to be running low on red apples. I take a seat across from her at the table, setting my apple down atop its soft surface. 

Before I bite into my breakfast, I ask, "Gotta work today?" Obviously, dumb-ass.

"Yeah," Dash replies, swallowing a mouthful of apple. "Wish there were more days off. I like my job, but getting up early is...not awesome."

"Yeah." I chomp into my apple, listening as it crunches heartily in my mouth. Speaking of jobs, I need to get one, my mind reminds itself. If I'm going to be living in Equestria, I ought to find a job to at least be able to sustain myself. And to pay back Dash somehow...I cringe a little inwardly with guilt. I feel bad for living off her means. It was understandable for when I was injured, not being able to fly and all, but now...where would I go, though, if I were to leave? I make a good point to myself. Where would I go? I'm not really from here. I have no previous home, no family or friends (other than Rainbow Dash), and no idea as to where I would even go. Equestria is an alien place for me; all I know of are Ponyville and the surrounding area, the rest of the places in this world I have only heard of or seen in minor detail.

I have to pay her back, somehow. My own mind will kill me with guilt if I don't. And a job's a start towards that, I suppose. I think of a question to ask, hoping it doesn't sound stupid to Rainbow Dash.

"Hey, uhh, if I were to get a job, how would I...do so? Like, how would I go about it?" I ask. I have to know how to properly get a job if I want a job, and have no clue how jobs even work in Equestria. Should I write out a resume? God, I hope not; writing is a bitch without any hands.

Rainbow stares at me blankly for a few seconds, chewing the last bite of her apple. I continue to look at her, blinking every so often in anticipation for any sort of reaction. She swallows her apple and a smile crosses her face. Dash lets out a little snort and closes her eyes, still smiling when she opens them. "Really?" she asks, minor disbelief in her voice. I can feel a little heat in my cheeks from embarrassment. Yeah, probably a stupid question. She chuckles before continuing. "Just go ask someone for a job."

"That sounds easy enough." And it does; no resumes, no suits or polo shirts? I hate polo shirts; the collar annoys me. One of the finer perks about being virtually naked, twenty-four-seven. In fact, fur is very preferable to clothing; warm, soft, and I don't even feel it on me most of the time.

"It is. When I went to get a job as weatherpony for Ponyville, I just went in there and said, 'Hey, can I have a job?', and they tested me a little to see if I would be good for the job. I still hold the record for fastest cloud-clearing over Ponyville. Cleared the sky in ten seconds flat, you shoulda' seen the looks on those ponies' faces," Rainbow Dash half-reminisces, half-boasts. She has a proud look on her face, and she sits up straighter; Rainbow seems much more awake, now. I smile, watching her, chuckling after she finishes.

"I bet you made head weatherpony in no time," I compliment.

"Oh yeah, I got promoted pretty fast," she says. Dash stops puffing out her chest as much, and her proud, distant look, returns to more of an amused smile directed at me. "So, finally decide to quit being lazy and get a job?" she jokes, grinning.

I return the grin, amused by the insult. "Yeah, I figured I may as well. The least I can do for you after helping me out so much is pay you back, or buy food, or something," I conclude more seriously.

I can again see some color appear, then quickly disappear, in her face. She seems to be pretty good at stifling embarrassment, a trait I envy a little. "Ferrum...you don't..." Rainbow Dash fumbles a little with her words. She glances down, now more obviously trying to hide blushing. "You don't owe me or anything, y'know..."

Now I feel embarrassed for making her embarrassed. Ironic, isn't it? Maybe. Irony is something I'm not sure on a lot of the time. "No, I just...I feel like I do. You've helped me out a ton...I've got to...do something. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't," I finish, finding myself also avoiding eye contact. A few seconds of silence befall the kitchen; they feel like hours. I spot my apple, half-eaten, seeing it as a way out of the awkward moment. I lean down and bite into it, chewing a little slowly.

Rainbow breaks the silence, thankfully. "So, uh, you're a blacksmith, right? Something like that."

I swallow the sourish, juicy chunk of fruit, meeting her eyes again. "Yeah, a blacksmith." My voice cracks a little, and I quickly cough to clear my throat. "I think I saw a smithy, where blacksmiths work, down in Ponyville's town square. Figured I'd go check it out, see if I can get a job there," I explain. 

"Oh, okay, cool," she says. "Speaking of which..." Dash glances out the window, seeing that the day is getting brighter already, the blue sky nearly fully cleansed of red and orange light. "...I should probably get going." She turns back and smiles apologetically.

"Alright. I might as well get an early start, too," I reply. I quickly bite off the last piece of my apple, then pick up the core in my teeth. Rainbow Dash does the same with her cored apple, and we stand up. I can feel my joints pop a little as I do so. She trots over to the trash can and deposits the fruit husk in, and I follow suit. Rainbow trots over to the door leading outside, looking back to see if I am coming, which I am, following her out the door, which swings closed behind me. We trot, me a little ways behind her, to the edge of her cloud property. She turns to me.

"Well...see you later, Ferrum. Good luck finding a job," she adds, smiling.

"Thanks. Have a good day," I tell her, smiling back. I watch as she looks up and forward, flapping her wings to get off of the cloud. I follow her gaze, and see that it is locked on a structure I had not noticed before in the distance; likely due to the fact it is made of clouds. It sits above Ponyville, near the outskirts, floating somewhat higher than Rainbow Dash's own cloud building. I assume it is the Ponyville weather station. I turn back to Dash, hovering in the sky. I smile at her again, and she returns it with a smile of her own before flying forward, towards the cloud structure in the distance. I watch her cyan blue form as it leaves a faint rainbow streak behind it until she becomes a speck in my vision.

I direct my eyes over the edge of the cloud, looking onto Ponyville, still covered in the perfectly thick blanket of white snow. Not many ponies, colored dots against a white canvas, roam the streets of the town at this hour; those that do are likely those with jobs in the town. I decide to take a more careful descent today, fairly sure I scared the hell out of some civilians yesterday. My brain again begins to refuse the idea of jumping off the nice, safe cloud, but I jump forward anyways, using the cloud as a spring to help me gain momentum.

I spread my wings instantaneously upon hitting the open air, feeling a tug on them as the weight of my body begins to rest upon them. I glide at a low angle towards the ground, feeling the currents beneath my wings, pressing my feathers against each other, the wind gently blowing against my face and sending my two-tone gray mane backwards. I float on the air for a few seconds, debating how I will reach Ponyville at a more speedy rate than this. Coming to a decision, I maneuver my shoulders and back muscles to alter my wings, pulling my right wing in a little and extending my left wing more.

I can feel my internals shift to the right side of my body as I begin tilting the same direction. Combined with my downwards angle, which I increase a little more, I head into a clockwise spiral down towards Ponyville's outskirts. I stretch my legs out in front of me and behind me. I feel like a pilot, and am tempted to make some super-realistic airplane noises, but don't for fear a fellow pony might hear me. I dip my right wing more and tilt down again, tightening the cyclone of my descent. I wonder to myself if this is what getting flushed down a toilet feels like. I decide this is much better than that.

I eventually near the ground, a little dizzy from my circular method of decreasing altitude. I stop gliding and spiraling about twenty feet off the ground, then hover the rest of the way down. I realize that, rather than how a normal bird's wings work, pegasi wings seem to be more like hummingbird wings, allowing them, me, to hover, fly backwards, et cetera. A piff of snow marks my landing outside Ponyville.

I see that I am standing near where Rainbow Dash and I landed yesterday. I momentarily recall the exhilaration and sheer awesomeness of my dive from her cloud house, and decide I will have to do it again sometime. I look around, again spotting Fluttershy's cottage, covered in snow. Some smoke comes from a chimney on the side of the house. A thought crosses my mind that I should go and re-visit each of the Mane Six, individually, but decide against it upon the basis that that would seem really weird. The MLP fan in me can wait if it means preserving the normal appearance I am attempting to give myself in front of these ponies.

Orienting myself towards the bridge leading into Ponyville, I begin trotting in its direction. This area of the town seems empty at this time of day. A minute of trotting at a steady pace passes. Houses begin to populate the area, and I can see the inner part of Ponyville stretching out a ways ahead of me. A few ponies pass me by, and I smile and nod a little to those who make eye contact with me or look at me. The ponies of the town actually seem to be nice enough folk, returning my smiles or saying a small "hello" back to me. I decide that I like the residents of Ponyville. Even if there are a few bad apples in the bunch, they seem to be hospitable and overall nice; I wonder offhandedly if Applejack uses apple-related phrases as much as she possibly can.

In the midst of my thoughts and in greeting the ponies that pass me, I seem to have neared the town's center. I slow my pace down, taking a closer look around than before. Various stores, restaurants, and vendors populate the area heavily, all surrounding the town hall. The town hall itself has an odd design, not medieval or Nordic in style at all. It looks more like one of those things in courtyards, the covered structures that are usually in white, and overlook a lake or something. I can't remember what they're called; and to think I remember that the end of a shoelace is called an "aglet". I snort to myself, in a little humor and disgrace towards my memory. The town hall looks something like Rarity's house, Carousel Boutique, too, but more refined and less pink. I see that the large porch encircling the building is what the mayor and other ponies give speeches on, recognizing it from the various times it was incorporated on the television show.

I turn away from the town hall, more interested in the marketplace around me. Ironically, maybe, the town square is more of a circle, the shops surrounding the town hall in such a formation. I see the restaurant where I had recognized a few ponies, one very human-like, yesterday. It seems fancy; a pony waiter, dressed in a suit and tie, tends to the tables outside the building, clearing the snow off of them and the seats situated around them. Various stalls selling many things surround me; I see vendors selling goods such as hot pies, scarves, and firewood. Shops built in the square also help to fill it. I spot a store selling books, a clothing store, a store named Quills and Sofas (I wonder what they sell), and a few other buildings with signs that indicate something I'm unsure of. One of them has a picture of something resembling a whoopee cushion as a sign; a joke store? My scanning eyes finally come to rest upon the building I was looking for; it appears to be made nearly entirely out of stone, but it does fit in with the rest of the buildings in Ponyville.

A fairly large sign that appears to be made of metal, iron judging by the rusty look it has from exposure to the elements, sits on the face of the gray building. The insignia it bears is uncannily similar to one placed upon my flanks; a hammer poised above an anvil at an angle, as if about to strike it. The only difference it bears in comparison to my own representation of the image is that it has a brownish-silver coloring and is likely fifty times larger. I stare at the sign a moment, intrigued. Is this sign a...sign? In one interpretation, obviously so, but in another, possibly. Either way I feel compelled to go to the building. I look away from the sign, leveling my eyes with the general area of Ponyville's town square and marketplace.

More ponies are roaming about now, starting to populate businesses. I decide I had better get going before the square gets too populated with colorful, equine creatures. I begin trotting towards the building I have focused on, beginning in a beeline towards it. I have to change course a few times to avoid bumping into ponies. I am tempted to just fly the short distance to the stone structure, but it occurs to me that that might be taken as rude by my fellow pedestrians. I eventually reach the front of the building. I glance over into one of the two windows on the face of the smithy, spotting a sign which reads Yes, we're open!. I return my sight to the door in front of me, a swinging door with no handle, like those that seem to be prominent in every house I have seen in Equestria so far. I take a step forward, leaning my head down to push open the door.

As I do so, my tilted vision catches a pony breaking off from the general crowd in the town square and heading towards me, towards the stone building. I am a little surprised that I recognize the pony; it is a mare, and her orange coat, blond mane, and signature cowboy hat identify her as Applejack in my mind. I wonder for a moment why she is coming to the smithy, then remember my manners and push into the door. It swings inward; I hear a bell jingle as the door opens. I continue to press my head against the door until it is fully open, then hold it open with a hoof. I look back outside, watching as the orange earth pony trots inside the shop, which I notice seems to be fairly warm despite the cold material the whole place is made of. She clears the door and I move my leg, letting the door swing shut. Applejack turns to me, tipping her hat towards me with a foreleg.

"Thanks, partn--" She stops when her hat is released of pressure from her leg, allowing her to see my face. Her eyes widen a little in recognition, green irises becoming more visible. "Ferrum? Well, fancy meetin' you here!" says Applejack, smiling.

"Hi, Applejack," I reply. Initiate small talk! "So'd you enjoy the party last night?"

"'Twas ah right good'un, that's fer sure. Pinkie makes some darn good cookies. Tell Rainbow Dash that ah won that cookie eatin' contest, will yah?" she asks, grinning devilishly.

"I bet she'll enjoy hearing that," I say with a hint of sarcasm in my voice, returning the grin.

Applejack chuckles. "Well, nice seein' yah here," she says, smiling again.

"As to you," I return with my own smile. I gesture with a foreleg and glance towards the counter in the room; a look of remembrance crosses her face, and she trots over to it. I continue to stand off to the side of the room, taking an opportunity to look around. The interior of the entire room, walls, floor, and ceiling, are all a gray stone, save for the door, which seems to be wooden. Two thick glass windows, positioned on either side of the centered door, naturally light the room with the morning sun. The walls are lined with various objects made of iron and steel; I see various utensils and cooking tools, steel and iron bars of varying lengths, horseshoes of a few different sizes, and best of all, a few different melee weapons. The weapons all seem to be made of steel, which I know is stronger than iron and makes for better durability; knives of various lengths and purposes are lined up on one part of a wall, some looking smooth and sharp, while others appearing to be jagged with serration and more like combat weapons. Swords fill the walls, too, ranging from fairly large swords to small shortswords, wide-bladed to stiletto-like, fancy and decorative to honed and deadly-looking. I know the ponies are naturally nonviolent beings, but damn!

I have to remind myself that the weapons are likely used for display, decor, or general purpose. Many back on Earth seemed to forget that a knife could do more than stab people. I knew from my own ownership of multiple combat knives that knives could do almost as much as duct tape, from slicing rope or tough meats to even being used as a hammer or a pry. The swords were another question, likely more for decor, or maybe the aspiring pony adventurer. I note that all of the creations, weapon or not, are extremely well-crafted. Maybe it's just the cartoon look of the world that adds to how perfect the tools and other creations appear, but it seems the handiwork is that of a master; no scratches, dents, or deformities befall the pieces of iron and steel, the blades all seem razor sharp, and everything is almost perfectly symmetrical. I am tempted to just admire the...art as long as I can, but recall I need to be job-hunting, not metal-watching. 

I turn away from the walls filled with shaped metals, looking to the wall opposite the door. It is filled with more iron and steel creations, including a couple of shields that reflect some of the morning light in the room. On this wall is another door, also centered and also wooden. It seems to lead to another portion of the smithy. In front of this door is a stone counter, placed far enough away from the door to provide space to situate a pony behind it. Atop the counter rests a couple more gray objects, including a few horseshoes, a decorative helmet, and three blocks--no, ingots of steel, situated in a triangle atop each other. Applejack stands in front of the counter, talking to a pony behind it.

The first thing I notice about the pony behind the stone counter is their color, which is a silver color, one I can very easily compare to the color of the ingots on the counter in front of them. I see that the pony is a male, a stallion, judging by the more squared face structure. His mane is a mix of a very dark gray and streaks of red; it looks like how the embers of a fire appear. He has an older, tired look about him, but faint crow's feet and laugh lines mark a jolly attitude; that and the fact he's smiling genuinely at Applejack as they converse across the counter. He seems to be more muscled, or low-set, or something, than me, maybe due to years of practicing his possession; then again, I'm tall and thin, as I always have been, whether in Earth or Equestria. I can't make out his cutie mark very well; I realize I've gotten into the habit of looking at the cutie marks of ponies when I see them, but remind myself it is also an indication to who they are or what they do. The steel-colored pony's mark appears to bear resemblance to...I glance back at the stack of steel ingots on the counter. Yes, a pile of three steel ingots. It's hard to discern them from his general coat, and doing so is only made possible by the black cartoon outlines that define the separate ingots, on his coat as they do on the actual things sitting on the counter. I finally notice that he is a pegasus, steel wings pressed in to his sides. A part of me questions why pegasi seem to be the blacksmiths around here.

My brain returns to absorbing and analyzing information at a normal rate, and I hear Applejack and the gray pegasus behind the counter talking.

"So, are Big Mac's shoes ready yet? We'll be needin' 'em soon, Wrap Up comin' here soon an' all," drawls Applejack.

The pony smiles at her and begins to duck down behind the counter. "I've got 'em right here, actually," he replies, his voice a little muffled beneath the counter. The gray pegasus' voice sounds deep, somewhat deeper than my own, and more gravelly. I can hear the slight twang of an accent, recognizing it as being something like a Tennessee accent, similar to my own. My old state and Tennessee were only separated by one state, after all. He surfaces, a cardboard box now in his mouth. It looks weighted down by some heavier objects. He sets it on the counter in front of Applejack, and I can hear the clang of metal-on-metal as he does.

"Whoo-ee!" Applejack says, elated. "Yer faster than a jackrabbit. Thank yah!"

The pegasus smiles and nods to her, watching as she picks up the box in her teeth. "Got it?" he questions, receiving a nod and a smile from the orange earth pony in return. He nods and smiles again in affirmation. I watch as Applejack turns around, box filled with horseshoes in her mouth. She glances over to where I stand and smiles, nodding to me as she goes to leave the store. I smile, and again, remember my good mannerisms that were pounded into me as a kid. I take a few steps over to the door and push it open, holding it there with my foreleg. Applejack nods again to me before trotting out of the shop. I allow the door to close, turning back to the counter and the pegasus behind it. I begin trotting towards the stone counter.

As I do, the steel pony asks, smiling, "What can I help you with? Need some shoes, new train parts, a weapon, maybe? I can make just about anything you need outta' metal."

I make sure to stand a little straighter, or at least try not to slouch. "Actually..." Manners, damn it! "...sir, I'm looking for a job. Are there...er...any available?" I'm used to phone calls, dressing decently, handing in a resume; this is making me a little nervous. My nervousness grows as the smile fades from his face. His eyes harden a little, and his jaw sets. Though I'm taller than him by a few inches, I feel quite small at the moment. 

"So. You think you can just...waltz in here, asking for a job? You think that's how it works?" His voice is low and level, and I feel like he's about to grab one of the knives in the room and start stabbing me. Fuck, what did I say? I repeat my words in my head, trying to find something wrong. Should I have worn clothes? Maybe cut my mane or something? I attempt to reply to defend myself somehow.

"Uhh..." is all I can manage.

The pegasus glares menacingly for a few more seconds. I almost wish I was sweating, because it feels odd that I am not. I begin glancing around at the various weapons, wondering how well I could defend myself against the pony. I feel my wings also beginning to extend, preparing for the "flight" option if "fight" fails. Suddenly I see his face lighten, and a grin crosses his mouth, making the laugh lines show on his face. "Hay, I'm just messing with you. That's exactly how it works!"

God damn it. A smile makes its way onto my own face and I relax a little, wondering if he'll switch it up again and tell me that it really isn't how it works. I snort a little in humor.

"And though it's a nice touch, no 'sir' stuff, alright?" continues the steel pegasus. "Name's Forge, and you'll call me that from now on, boss or not," says Forge, extending his right foreleg with the intention of a hoofshake. I nod, still smiling sheepishly, and put out my own leg, grasping his hoof. The blacksmith's hoofshake is firm but controlled, and I can tell that he could knock damn near anyone into next week. We withdraw our respective legs. "So what's your name?" Forge starts off.

"Ferrum," I reply. "My name's Ferrum." I don't add anything else, waiting for him to continue.

"And you want a job here, as a blacksmith, yeah?"

"Yes, I do," I say, nodding my head to reinstate the fact.

"Had any previous experience?"

Hmm. I know I have not, and don't know much about the specifics of blacksmithing, let alone how to do it. I could lie to sound more appealing, but I'd be found out fairly quickly with my lack of knowledge and experience. 

"No, I haven't." I watch his face for a reaction, but notice his friendly smile does not waver, nor does the same friendly look in his eyes. I was expecting confusion, or disappointment, or something, but I see no change in heart. I wonder if he's just wearing a poker face.

"Alright. Why do you want to get a job here? Last question," Forge adds.

I'm about to reply with used-to-want-to-be-a-gunsmith-now-I'm-here-so-obviously-I-should-be-a-blacksmith, but remember that's probably not a suitable answer. "Well..." I start. Where should I go with this? "I don't really know. I just feel like I'm meant to be a blacksmith. Something like that." I know it sounds unprofessional, or childish, and am starting to regret my choice of words. A thoughtful look crosses Forge's face.

"Okay, I understand. Same reason I became a blacksmith; no reason at all, other than that it felt right." I'm a little surprised at the answer. I guess that's how you're supposed to feel about something you enjoy. My mind wavers a little, and a familiar magenta-eyed mare enters my thoughts momentarily. I try to refocus, finding it a little hard. "Well, Ferrum, you seem like a good kid," Forge says. I wonder how old he actually is. I haven't been called "kid" by many other people save for those quite a bit older than me; I think my height prevented most from looking down on me as they would a child. "You're hired."

"Thank you...Forge," I reply, avoiding "sir". I'm a little confused as to why he hired me, but I don't dispute it. "So...what now?" I ask.

"Hmm..." He glances upward in thought, returning his eyes back to me after a moment's decision. "I'll just show you around the place today. I'm going to have to set some things up for you so that you can get started tomorrow. You'll be working as my striker until you learn the ropes. Know what that is?"

"No, I don't," I reply, unsure of what a "striker" is. Some sort of an assistant, likely.

"A striker's an assistant, basically." Nailed it. "You'll mainly be watching me and helping me out by using a big hammer to thin out the iron while it's hot. It's how everyone starts out. I'm going to give you part-time pay until I think you're ready to start making things to sell in the shop, okay?" finishes Forge.

"Alright, that sounds fine," I say. Any money, even a little, is better than none at this point. My thoughts are starting to drift to Rainbow Dash again.

He smiles, pleased I'm content with the standards. "Come on, follow me, I'll show you around."

I maneuver around the counter and follow him as he pushes through the wooden door behind the counter, entering into a room behind the main shop area. I continue through the wooden door after him, making sure it swings closed behind me. As I turn away from the door, the first thing I notice about the new room I am in is the change in lighting. There are no windows in sight, and instead the room is lit by four torches, mounted in each corner of the room. The room is fairly large in size. The combination of the torchlight and the stone building material gives the room a steady, somewhat low amount of light. I notice that the room is a few degrees warmer than the last; I see that this is due to what sits in the center of the room, a good twenty feet away from me. A large, low-sitting circle made of stone is the focal point of the room. It is a hollow circle, and I see that the center holds the source of heat, which also serves to light the room, giving off a bright red-orange glow. In this raised stone pit are burning coals; their combined heat creates a bright layer of flame over top of them. The flames sit low, however, giving the pit of fire in the center of the room an appearance I can compare to lava, or magma. I recognize this as the main forge, where the metals would be heated.

A couple of furnaces line the back wall of the room; a small mountain of coal sits between them, a shovel dug into its side. I see that a trough of black water sits beside the forge, and assume it's used for cooling the ultra-hot metals as quickly as possible. Some anvils are placed about the room, various tools like large sledgehammers, smaller hammers, chisels, and various others that look like they are intended for precision laying on or beside them. Metal workbenches covered in scratches and small dents rest against the walls to my left and right; both of the workbenches seem to have devices looking like vises on them. A grinding wheel that seems to be pedal-operated lies off to the side of one workbench, and some taut strips of leather--no, not leather, ponies don't use leather--of...something...are stretched out on the wall beside the wheel. And finally, metal is strewn everywhere. Poles and bars, ingots, knives and other utensils, horseshoes, pieces of armor meant for horses (or ponies), and general chunks of metals and ores lay all over the room, up against walls, resting on the forge, placed on worktables, or in various places on the floor.

Forge turns his head back to face mine. "This is where the magic happens," he says, gesturing with a foreleg around the general area of the room. "That's the main forge, there in the center. Gotta keep it burning bright to make it hot enough to soften the metal," Forge explains while pointing at the object after which he was named. He moves his hoof a little, now at the water trough. "Dip the metal in there to cool it down. Don't drink it, either." I nod, smiling a little. He trots around one side of the forge, and I take a few steps forward. "Those are the furnaces," he says, aiming a hoof towards one of the little structures at the back of the room. "Miners bring in the ores, and I melt 'em down so I can use 'em." He turns to one of the workbenches on the wall. "Know how to use a vise?" I dip my head in confirmation that I do. He returns the nod, continuing, "Good." Forge glances towards the grinding wheel, saying, "That's a grinder. Little tricky to work, gotta be careful not to nick yourself when you're using it, you'll get a free haircut." He trots over to the grinder, picking up an average kitchen knife off of the workbench with his teeth. He holds the blade facing outwards and to his right. Forge trots over to one side of the yellow-gray wheel, then moves out his right foreleg onto one of the pedals on it.

He begins to spin the wheel, then leans in a little towards it, careful to keep his distance. The metal blade makes contact with the spinning stone, and sparks glance off of it. A steady stream of small specks of fire fly off the metal and dissipate harmlessly into the air, and a loud scraping noise makes me cringe a little. I watch as Forge tilts his head a little, and more sparks fly off of an un-sharpened portion of the knife. After a few seconds of sharpening, he stops pedaling the wheel, replacing the knife on the workbench near him.

"You'll want to use the grinder here for first sharpening blades and points, when they're really dull. When you've got a blade or tip on it, and want to make it more fine, you use..." He trails off, picking up the knife in his teeth again. Forge trots around the sharpening wheel to the strips of the material I know are not leather, but seem like it. "...'ese," he finishes, speech distorted by the metal he grips in his jaws. He takes the blade, holding it outward again, then scrapes it at an angle along one of the strips. After a few seconds, he stares down towards the knife, cross-eyed, then gives a satisfied look and returns to the workbench, replacing the crafted metal.

My curiosity as to what the looks-like-leather-but-can't-possibly-be material is starting to overwhelm my thoughts. "Uhh, Forge, what are those strips? What are they made of?" I question.

He glances back at them before looking back to me. "Oh, those are strips of cloth or something. They're covered in a layer of little gems. The gems are harder than the metal, so they sharpen it. That mare down at that dress store made it for me a while back, Rare or Rarity or something like that. Must've taken her ages, setting in all those tiny little stones, not to mention she made three of them when I had asked for one. Nice pony, she is," Forge trails off, a little lost in thought. There is silence for a moment before he continues. "So, any other questions, Ferrum?"

I go over what he has explained, not finding anything else disputable. I still question why pegasi seem to be blacksmiths, instead of earth ponies, who might be stronger, or unicorns, who could more easily handle and shape the hot materials without much injury or hassle, but I refrain from asking, feeling it might be too off-hand. "No, I don't think so," I reply.

"Alright, well, I think that's all for the grand tour. I want you back here tomorrow, and the rest of the week, sometime around when the sun is raised. Sunrise to sunset, give or take, weekends are all yours, okay?" asks Forge.

"Okay," I reply, nodding once in agreement and smiling.

He returns the smile, then makes himself look serious. "Now get out, I have orders to fill."

I snort and grin, turning towards the door. I can hear him chuckle behind me as I trot out. I push open the door, re-entering the shop. I am met with late morning light that fills the shop. I take a last look at the shining tools, weapons, and other metal supplies in the room before trotting out into the snow and pony filled town square of Ponyville again, smiling to myself and feeling pleased.

***

I spend the remainder of the day flying around the outskirts of Ponyville, observing the scenery. The land the small town is based in reminds me of my old home, being mild forest and grassland, yet holding a surprising amount of awe-inspiring features. The rivers traversing the town, frozen over in the cold weather, the large hills overlooking it, one of which holds the farm of the Apple family, a seemingly small red structure sitting atop a peak, separated from me by Ponyville. The multitude of houses, the small-town feel with an actually fairly large size, much of it brings a lot of memory to me. I feel a few things throughout the day; happiness, sadness (or really, homesickness), emptiness, contentment, all of them hit me at some point. I'll feel down for a while, then think of the positive, and become happy for a while. It eventually confuses me somewhat, and I end up feeling numb.

My state of numbness ends when I notice the color around me starting to change, beginning to gain a orange tint. I look to the sky and see the sun beginning to set, realizing I should probably return to Rainbow Dash's home. I hope that she hasn't been waiting for me, and take to the skies.

A few minutes of climbing the air and I reach the cloud supporting her house, landing upon it. I trot to the house and enter, finding the kitchen empty. I listen for a moment, waiting for any signs of Rainbow.

"Hello?" I ask a little loudly, directing my voice towards the stairs leading upward. After a few seconds, I hear a little whirring noise growing steadily louder, and soon, Tank the flying tortoise appears in the stair well, hovering into the kitchen. "Hey, Tank," I say to him, smiling. "Rainbow Dash isn't home yet, eh?" He begins swinging his head to the side in reply, as quickly as paint dries. I watch until he finishes a single shake back-and-forth of his little green head, then snort quietly in amusement. Something seems to catch his eye, and he flies over to one of the cloud windows. I momentarily forget they are merely openings in the wall, and am a bit stunned as I watch him fly out the window, thinking he flew through the window. I trot over to the window he raced out of, wondering what he saw.

I approach the window and peer out, seeing what excited him. Tank circles in the air around a sky blue pegasus with a rainbow colored mane, who is now trotting towards her house. I can faintly hear Rainbow Dash greeting Tank, and see her smile at the hovering reptile. I watch her out the kitchen window until she is near the house, then get an idea. I quickly make my way over to the area of the room behind the door, crouching down a little and waiting. After a few seconds, the door is pushed open, nearly hitting me in the face. I hold in my breath, smiling to myself. As the cloud door swings closed, I see Dash trot in, followed by Tank. Rainbow Dash watches Tank as he hovers over to another part of the room, then lets out a sigh, puffing out her cheeks as she does so.

My smile turns to a grin, but I continue holding my breath. I begin to slowly move forward, one hoof at a time, approaching an unaware Rainbow Dash. Time seems to slow down, but a couple of seconds of quiet movement places me only a foot or two behind her. I lean forward a little.

"Boo."

"Yaah!" cries Dash, jumping a few inches off the floor. Her wings flare out to their full extent almost instantaneously, and I jerk back a little to avoid them. She spins around, looking panicked. Rainbow's look of panic turns to one of disbelief when she sees me standing behind, now in front of, her. She relaxes a little and I see a smile start to form on her lips. "Ferrum! Don't do that!" she says, trying to sound angry but failing. Dash lifts a foreleg and gives me a playful punch in the shoulder, having to reach up a little to do so.

"Do what?" I reply, starting to laugh. 

She continues to attempt to look angry at me, but eventually can't help herself and starts to chuckle with me. She hangs her head in embarrassment, continuing to laugh for a while as I do. "Okay, I guess that was pretty good," Rainbow Dash tells me, still chuckling.

My own laughter dies down. "Oh, boy, your reaction was perfect," I say, grinning with a feeling of achievement and humor.

She laughs a little more, then seems to realize something. Rainbow glances back, seeing that her cyan wings continue to remain outstretched, feathers spread. She turns back to me, looking down a little, and I see her face reddening with heat. "Uhh...sorry," she apologizes, indicating her wings. "They'll go down sometime...you just...scared me, is all," Dash explains. I see her wings flex downwards a little, and I assume she's attempting to force them down, but is failing.

I smile and chuckle. "It's alright. So, how did your day go?" I begin.

Rainbow Dash tells me about her mainly uneventful day as we begin preparing some dinner for ourselves. Over some hay, flower, and bread sandwiches, she asks about my own day. I tell her of my newly acquired job as a blacksmith in Ponyville, of the boss I think I'll enjoy, and of some of the features of the smithy and of the job. Rainbow tells me again that I don't owe her anything, and that I don't need to get a job, and I again state that I feel that I do. It gets a little awkward, as it did earlier when the subject was brought up, but we finish our meals soon after, preventing a long and uncomfortable silence. Dash and I are both tired and decide to go to sleep a little early to catch up.

I bid her goodnight, and break off from the stairs into the living room. My spot on the couch awaits me diligently, and I flop down upon it, overwhelmed by a feeling of relaxation from standing and flying. Thoughts of whether it is healthy or not for ponies to lie down drift around in my head, as I recall a piece of knowledge informing me horses were not supposed to lie down for long periods of time. I also remember that horses and ponies shouldn't talk, either, and drop the thoughts, allowing my mind to shut down for the night.
> Chapter 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I hear a muffled thumping getting louder. The noise seems to be nearing me. It reaches its peak of volume momentarily; the sound seems to be around twenty feet away from where I lay; when it does, I open my eyes. I catch a glimpse of the rear half of a cyan body as it moves down the stairs across the room, a rainbow colored tail trailing behind it. I continue to stare at the staircase, listening to the thumping, which I now recognize as the sound of hooves on a cloud, until it becomes very soft. At that point, I blink a couple of times, then roll off of the cloud I rest on, hitting the floor with a similar thumping noise.

As I make my way to and down the stairs, I realize Rainbow Dash's activity must be waking me up, as it did the day before. I am silently grateful that she is fairly clumsy in the morning. I trot out into the kitchen, arriving in the white room to see the pegasus in question hovering near a cabinet, her head inside it, grabbing something. Rainbow turns back towards me, or more, the table in the center of the room, a muffin in her mouth. She lowers herself to the floor, beginning to make her way to the low-sitting table, when she finally notices me. I smile to her tiredly.

Her eyes open a little more, but not much, and she attempts a smile without dropping the muffin. Dash speeds up in trotting towards the table, placing the muffin down atop it. "Morning," she says, smiling again with more ease. She sits down at the table, hungrily looking at her breakfast before reaching down and taking a bite of it.

"Hey," I reply, going over to the same cabinet, which Rainbow Dash accidentally left open. I prop my forelegs on the counter, then reach in to grab a muffin of my own in my teeth. As I return to the side of the table opposite the cyan mare, I can taste blueberries and a muffin flavor in my mouth.

We sit at the table quietly for a few minutes, eating our respective muffins. By the time I finish mine, Rainbow has been waiting for around a minute, trying to wake up more, I suppose. I swallow the last of my muffin, feeling more awake, myself. I glance up at Dash, licking a piece of muffin from the side of my mouth. She looks back at me, her magenta eyes half-lidded but much more awake than before.

"So today'll be your first day, right? At work." Her scratchy voice crackles a little as she speaks, breaking the morning silence; I enjoy hearing her talk, though. I tried comparing her voice to others, of people I had heard speak before, but none could match hers; it is an odd voice, but again, I like it. I find it...well, cute, actually. I feel a little heat hit my face as I find myself thinking this.

"Uhh...yeah, at the smithy, down in Ponyville." I smile in remembrance. I wonder how my first day will go, and am eager to see what the job entails.

"Cool. Your boss sounds pretty nice, so hopefully your day will go good."

"Yeah, I hope so, too." A moment of silence passes through the air. I don't really know what to add, but feel like I need to say something else. My brain is working at minimum capacity this morning, though, so I can't find any words, and instead just look down at the table, not wanting to stare at Rainbow Dash; that would make the silence even more awkward, at least, maybe for her.

A feeling of relief passes over me when she continue the morning conversation. "Yeah...I'm like, my own boss, which is pretty cool. There's a pony who runs the whole weather station and stuff, and I still work for him, but I lead the teams, and I don't have to deal with him too much."

"I bet that's nice," I say. "Do you like being head weatherpony?" I ask after a moment, my interest becoming more genuine.

Her eyes brighten a little and she smiles. "Oh yeah, it's awesome. I get to fly around all day, do some stunts if I want, and beat up some clouds. Sometimes I've gotta do other stuff, like help get a big storm in, or lead the weather team in the Winter Wrap-Up, or get water from the ground to Cloudsdale so they can keep making rain and clouds and stuff. Other than that, I get to boss ponies around and take naps all the time while they do the work!" finishes Rainbow Dash, grinning jokingly.

I chuckle, saying, "I don't believe a word of that. You're bossy, but not that bossy. Definitely lazy, though." I flash a grin of my own at her. She laughs a little in return, continuing to smile afterward.

"Well, me and my lazy self should probably get to work," she says, starting to stand up from the cloud table in the kitchen. I do the same, stretching for a brief moment before relaxing again, smiling at Rainbow. I trot over to the door and push it open, holding it for her and watching as she trots out behind me. We walk to the edge of her cloud home again, I glance over at her, finding she has done the same.

"Have a good day at work, Rainbow Dash," I tell her, smiling warmly.

"You too, Ferrum." She smiles back, then glances towards her destination, the warmth in her smile turning to determination. Dash kicks off of the cloud, pumping her wings hard, sending her speeding away from where I stand, watching. A streak of rainbow follows her path, created by her multicolored mane and tail. I watch her cyan blue figure get quickly smaller, disappearing after a few seconds, the rainbow trail soon vanishing as well. I smile, then turn my head downwards, looking over a snowy Ponyville. I decide that I will also start my day with a little speed, setting my mind as I prepare to force myself off the cloud.

As with the previous time I had done this, my mind begins screaming insults at me. At least they're less vulgar this time. I press my wings into my sides, angling face-down towards the ground. The rush of cold wind blowing past my face and forcing my mane backwards, the howl of the air in my ears, the slowly increasing adrenaline, I welcome it all. The scream of wind bouncing off my eardrums is soon blocked out by the beating of my panicked and excited heart. Ponyville begins to take shape, the figures of the houses and ponies gaining detail by the millisecond. I hear a subconscious voice in my head, instructing me as it did before. Wait...wait...wait...now!

I force out my wings, causing them to catch in the air. The sudden change in my balance and surface area causes me to be thrown upward into a level position by the air currents beneath my black wings. I smile to myself, enjoying the press of wind on the fronts of my outstretched hooves, my wings, and my face. I can easily relate the feeling to that of riding a motorcycle at a high rate of speed. Making sure the air ahead of me is clear of building, hills, or other crash-inducing objects, I close my eyes, gliding through the air. As the seconds pass, the flow of adrenaline slows, and my hearing returns with only a soft heartbeat in my head.

I open my eyes, glancing around casually as I continue to glide at a good speed. Looking downwards, I see I am a little past the town square. I decide to make a quicker route to my destination, and begin turning around in a wide half-circle. A few seconds of flying returns me to the center of Ponyville, and I quickly thrust and turn my wings forward, halting me mid-air. I hover down, allowing myself to drop a few feet every couple of wing flaps, and land on the snow-covered dirt roads of the town with a thud. I am in an alleyway directly beside the smithy. I collapse my wings back to my sides and trot out of the alley, turning and moving to the door of the stone building.

As I push open the door with one side of my face, I feel a blast of warm air radiate from the interior of the building. I make my way inside and help the door along, sealing the room again. I turn my head back into the room, and see a silver-gray pegasus behind the counter a few feet away. Forge smiles at me, raising a hoof in greeting.

"Hey, there you are. Was wondering if you'd show up or not," he says, chuckling a little.

I frown. "Sorry, am I late?" I ask. I question to myself how I would know if I was late or not, seeing as there aren't any clocks around to go by. Maybe I should make a sundial or something.

"No, you aren't late. As long as you show up, I really don't care when you get here. Don't abuse that, either," Forge adds, still smiling but with a hint of warning on his face.

"I won't. So...when do we start?"

"Now, as a matter of fact." He jerks his head backwards, to the door behind him, and trots through it. I go over to the counter, then follow through the door into the somewhat darker and much warmer room. A look around the stone room at the back of the building shows me that it remains the same as yesterday, with some minor changes. Some materials and objects have been moved around the room. One of the workbenches, sitting on the left wall of the room from where I stand, is completely cleaned off now. Forge is throwing some more coal into the main forge, using a shovel. He sticks the shovel back in the pile of coal opposite me in the room, then turns to face me. "That bench is yours to use," he tells me, nodding to the cleaned worktable. "Put some knick-knacks or something on there, I don't really care. Just don't beat it up too bad."

I nod to him. A glance over to the metal table shows nothing of interest, since nothing is really there, so I continue to stand where I am. I look back at Forge, who is still tending to the forge. I see that he is standing with his side to the circular pit, and one of his wings is outstretched over the fire in it. He is using his wing as a fan, a bellows, to make the fire burn brighter; very effectively, at that, I note upon seeing the coals burn brighter and brighter until a steady flame, like the one I saw yesterday, hovers over them. Maybe that's why pegasi make good blacksmiths...

I am prevented from further thinking into this when Forge says, "Alright, today we've got a few orders. Biggest one is the Apple family's shoes, we need to get those done first. Rest of 'em are basically shoes, got a few new knives for the restaurant here in town also."

"Okay. Are horseshoes what you normally make?" I inquire.

"Pretty much, yes. Shoes are big this close to the Winter Wrap-Up, since the earth ponies will be plowin' fields. 'Lotta skates, too, those are usually asked for a little later, though. After Wrap-Up, we generally make anything here. Seems ponies wear down metal pretty fast, in their shoes, their saddles and bags, you get the picture," he finishes.

"Hmm," I reply, my curiosity satisfied.

"Alright, enough chit-chat, we have horseshoes to make," says Forge, smiling. He beckons me over to the furnaces at the back of the room. After asking me to load some coal into them, to which I do, a little clumsily, admittedly. Gripping a shovel and keeping it level proves a little tough, and I find my jaw hurting a little from biting down hard after the furnaces are burning brightly. He then instructs me to help load in chunks of ore, for smelting. We close the ore-filled furnaces and wait patiently for a few minutes. I drum with my hooves a little on the forge. He announces the ores are melted, and begins removing them carefully with tongs and something that looks like a cooking pot, only with a small bowl and a long handle. Forge tells me to watch him as he does this, because the melted iron is extremely hot and has a tendency to spill or drip. 

I watch as Forge extracts the remaining chunks of stone and sediment from the liquefied metal. He then takes the container over to some rectangular pieces of steel, with carvings made in them. I see that they are molds, the carvings being of horseshoe shape. The molds, of which there are four, lie on Forge's workbench, side by side; a stack of more steel rectangles sits to the side of the table, and I assume they are molds of different shoe sizes. He carefully begins to pour the white-hot liquid into each of the molds. I see that he fills each to the brim, perfectly filling them with iron. After he finishes the fourth mold, he trots back to the furnaces and rests the pot-like container inside one of them, keeping the melted iron heated. Forge turns back to me, smiling a little.

"Those molds took me a while to make. Had to take hand-crafted horseshoes of a few sizes, lay 'em in some softened steel. Speaking of which, you gotta use iron for shoes, never steel. Steel's stronger, but is harder to work with than iron, got it?"

"Got it," I reply, nodding firmly. He returns the nod and smiles, pleased. We wait until the iron in the molds cools, and Forge tells me to help him get the shoes out of the molds. I watch as he lifts a mold, banging it on the workbench until the iron shoe falls out, and I mimic his actions with another mold. After all four of the shoes are out, he inspects them for a moment. He deems that the shoes came out cleanly, and moves them off to a box sitting on the wall of the room. Forge returns to the furnaces, telling me to switch out the molds for the smaller shoe molds, then grabs the pot filled with heated iron and begins the shoe-making process again.

We continue to do this for some time. Later in the day, Forge announces that we only have one more set of horseshoes to go, then we can do the restaurant's order for utensils. He says that he would like me to try and do the process for the last set, without help from him. I don't feel nervous about messing up, but remind myself not to get too cocky. I begin by grabbing the pot device in the furnace; I see that the liquid iron in it is nearly depleted at this point. The handle of the container feels warm on my teeth, and I try to keep my tongue away from it for fear of burning myself accidentally. I cautiously trot over to the molds lying on the workbench, keeping the pot of white-hot metal as steady as I can. I approach the first mold. I tilt my head slowly, my eyes darting from the slow-moving liquid to the steel mold, watching as it begins to fill. I don't judge how much iron rests in the mold properly, though, and a little overflows onto the steel surface of the mold. Damn it. I sidestep to the next of the molds, repeating the process. On this mold, I am able to get the level of iron in it near perfect. The same result comes from the following two molds, and I feel some pride in my work. I return the now-empty pot to the furnace, and turn back to see Forge inspecting my handiwork.

I near the worktable and he turns to me. "Not bad, not bad at all. First one's a little full, but we can smooth it out. Nice job, kid." I smile and nod in thanks, feeling a little more proud. After a few minutes, the iron in the molds cools, and I bang out the horseshoes. I pick up the first shoe, the overfilled one, in my mouth. It feels very warm, somewhat hot, and I again keep my tongue away. I turn to Forge with a questioning look, and he motions to the grinding stone off to the side of the same wall the workbench I am by rests on. I trot over to it, positioning myself beside it and placing my right hoof on it. I begin pedaling the wheel, glancing up to Forge, who nods in confirmation this is what he wants me to do, and I turn back to the spinning wheel. I inch my head towards its coarse and quickly-spinning surface, flinching a little when the iron shoe makes contact. Sparks glance off out and away from me as the metal is steadily worn away. At one point I nick my cheek on the grinding wheel, which elicits a grunt and an internal Ow, fuck! It feels like having a car covered in sandpaper drive past me, hitting my cheek as it does so. I continue to remove the shoe of its excess metal until it is fully removed, leaving the shoe looking like its brethren.

I turn away from the wheel and back to Forge, setting the horseshoe down on the workbench so he can take a look at it. He peers at it for a few seconds, flips it over with a hoof, and continues to stare at it. Turning to me, he says, "Cleaned that up nice, it looks good. Let's move on to the restaurant's order."

For the next ten minutes or so I watch as Forge basically creates steel. I help him add more iron and coal to the furnaces, and we wait for the ores to melt. He eventually removes the two pots that are in use, removing the undesirable stone and sediment before allowing the iron to cool, inside the pots. After it does, he puts the pots back into the furnaces, melting the iron again; he repeats this process a few more times, and finally removes the melted-and-re-melted metal from the furnaces; the iron has been removed of some of its carbon, creating a steel alloy. Forge takes one of the pots, instructing me to grab the other quickly, then goes over to another set of molds, laid out on the floor in one corner of the room. These molds are small, and have a small rod shape inlaid in them. We make about twenty of these bars, which end up remaining quite hot but have a solid form.

Forge gives me a pair of tongs, telling me to pick up the bars and move them to the nearby workbench. We do so for a minute, and I place the tongs on the floor when all of the small steel rods are laid out on the workbench. I watch as Forge trots to another side of the stone room, grabbing a sledgehammer, before returning to me and dropping the hammer on the floor in front of me.

"I'm going to set one of the rods aside, and you're going to hit it with the hammer. Hard. Not too hard though, in case you miss. Poor table's been beat up enough," he says, smiling. He uses a pair of tongs to move one of the rods to the side of the workbench; it still glows a little red in heat. I turn about a little, wondering how I should go about using the hammer, which is now in my jaws, to hit the small target. After a moment of decision I find a position that allows me to swing the sledgehammer in an angled arc, and attempt to line up my sight on the glowing rod of steel. I begin pulling my head up and to the side, feeling the weight of the hammer offset to one side of my mouth. I clench my teeth a little tighter, preparing to bring the hammer down. I twist my head down as the hammer reaches its peak, making it smack down onto the small piece of steel with a loud clang of metal-hitting-metal. My head vibrates from the impact, and my teeth hurt a little. I look over at where I have struck, finding I hit my target cleanly. I lift the hammer, returning it to its starting position, and see the squished piece of steel, looking much flatter now.

"Nice hit. Let's do the next one," says Forge, moving out another. By the time I finish bringing my large hammer down twenty-one times, being that I missed at one point, leaving a fine dent in the metal surface of the table, my ears ring softly and my teeth are noticeably hurting. I drop the hammer on the ground and crack my jaw left and right, moving my mouth around a little. Forge smiles at me and chuckles softly before turning and grabbing one of the flat chunks of steel. He moves to the grindstone and begins sharpening it, and eventually the mashed piece of metal becomes a simple, dull-bladed butter knife. He and I repeat this process, alternating until twenty knives and a lot of steel dust remain. I notice my butter knives are fairly well-made, looking similar to Forge's in quality, save for a few nicks on the blades or blemishes on the handles, and smile a little in pride.

Forge scans the knives a few times, then looks up to me with a smile of his own. "These look good. I'll probably touch up a few of yours, but don't dwell on that. You did some excellent work, especially for it being your first time doing this. You can head on home if you'd like, Ferrum."

I smile to him. "Thanks. See you tomorrow, Forge," I say, trotting towards the door leading into the front room. I push open the door, make my way around the counter, then head out to Ponyville's town square.

***

Rainbow Dash arrives home when the sun glows an orange color, only about a foot away from the horizon and only about an hour after I arrive at her house. I decide not to scare her today, and instead sit at the table in her kitchen, watching Tank as he flies about the room acrobatically. Movement catches my eye, and I see the door slowly opening. A cyan blue head covered in multicolored hair pokes inside, magenta eyes scanning the room before spotting me, sitting at the table. I see Rainbow exhale a little in relief and relax, pushing the rest of the way inside. She sees the grin on my face.

"I thought you might try to scare me again," she clarifies.

"Now why would I do that?" I ask, continuing to grin.

Dash chuckles a little as she flaps her wings to a hovering position, opening some cabinets and removing two plates and sandwich materials. I stand up and trot over to the cabinets, helping get out a loaf of bread. She places the platters on the cloud table before returning to where I stand to make her own sandwich. We grab our meals and sit down at the table. I ask Rainbow Dash how her day went, the general small talk, to which she replies with her usual "good, but boring". When she asks me the same, I have a little more to say. I tell her of my first day on the job, what I did, how I think I'll enjoy it, and so on. She asks questions here and there, which tells me she's actually holding some degree of interest; I find it a little odd, thinking it would instead bore her, but continue on. I eventually finish, and she says she agrees that I'll take a liking to my job.

Not having much else to talk about, we decide to get a good night's rest. I follow Rainbow up the stairs, bidding her good night as I break off into the second story. I lay down on the fluffy white couch, jaw and cheek still sore from my first day working as a blacksmith. I drift off into sleep somewhat thoughtlessly, feeling content.

	
> Chapter 13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The next month and a half, six weeks exactly, forty-two days precisely, one-thousand and eight hours in total, passes quickly. My weeks and weekends are generally the same. Every weekday, I get up a few minutes after Rainbow Dash does, her morning disorientation becoming my alarm. I meet her in the kitchen of the tri-story cloud tower, and we eat breakfast together, every morning. We make small talk in the mornings, often too tired to hold up a full-sized conversation, though those do occur every so often. Together Rainbow and I go outside after finishing our meals, her flying up and away to her workplace, me diving down below to mine. I have gotten into the habit of waking myself up fully by diving off of the cloud, spiking my adrenaline each time, the feeling of being able to catch myself while falling and the resulting speed never getting old.

My work at the smithy improves as each day passes. By the end of my first week working there, which was only three days long in total, Forge trusted me with assisting him. At the end of the following week, Forge decided I was ready to begin making items that were worth selling in the shop. I found that the pay system for my job, and through later inquiry to Dash about it, finding the pay system for all of Equestria, was to pay the total amount of earnings to the worker at the end of each week. My first week-and-a-half of apprentice work, and pay suited to apprenticeship, earned me a total of forty bits; I also learned "bits" are the national currency in Equestria, and are simple gold coins stamped with a figure of Princess Celestia's head on one side and Princess Luna's head on the other. After some simple math done after receiving my pay, and some shopping around in Ponyville, I figured out a little more about the economy in Ponyville.

I found that apprenticeship pay, or part-time pay, was based on days worked, since actual hourly-time didn't seem to exist. I was paid five bits per day working as an apprentice; as a full-time employee, my pay was raised to ten bits per day. I thought it to be a simple, yet effective system, though a little communistic in nature. Rainbow Dash helped to clarify that those with much more important jobs, such as doctors or fireponies, were payed much more. From looking at the prices on various goods, I guessed that a single bit was somewhere equivalent to an American dollar; however, the low prices of goods and services led me to think the bit to be more equivalent to an American dollar in the 1960's or so, when the economy was in much better shape than in the 2010's. I realized that based on the excellent pay, part- or full-time, and the stable economy (no horse pun intended), it would be very hard for anyone with any job to be poor or struggling in Equestria.

Despite the fact I was mainly making horseshoes, and, more into the starting weeks of February, ice skates, harnesses, and other Winter-Wrap-Up-related items, my job as a blacksmith for Ponyville remained entertaining and enjoyable. In what spare time I had, while Forge was working on a more complex project or something, I made knives, many of them. Forge even gave me a box at one point to store them in; I now have about three boxes full of knives, no two alike in shape or design. I enjoyed making them; it was relaxing. A quick delve into my memory could bring up some of the knives I had seen on Earth, from combat knives, to stilettos, to machetes, to kukris, and many others. At some points I wondered if Forge questioned my knowledge of so many tools intended to kill, but he never openly did so or seemed to, and often complimented me on my work. I enjoyed having him as a boss; he was less of a boss and more of a coworker, even a friend, as a boss should be.

I gained some more "battle damage" over the course of the six weeks that passed, more often than not first- and second-degree burns on my forelegs, sometimes cuts and sometimes scrapes from the grindstone. Every time, however, I would find the wounds being healed by the following day, no scars, no traces of them ever being there. My pony physiology never ceased to amaze me. One day on a weekend, a Sunday, when Rainbow Dash had been called in to work to help control some weather that was not desired, I decided to visit Ponyville's library. After greeting Twilight Sparkle and Spike and making some small talk, I found as many books on pegasi as I could, just on a wild streak of curiosity. I found that pegasi were internally much different from earth ponies and unicorns. The bones of pegasi shared properties with those of birds, being extremely lightweight due to them being hollow. Pegasus ponies also had a natural magic that allowed them to manipulate weather of all kinds through the ability to interact with clouds; I found this to be the reason I and other pegasi could walk on clouds, shape them into structures, extract water from them, and so on. I also read a book on pegasi history, and some skimming led me to the conclusion that pegasi had had a very militaristic or businesslike outlook on society, in a manner similar to the Greeks or Romans.

Each weekday I would return home around sunset, usually only a minute or two ahead of or behind Rainbow Dash. We ate dinner together, as we did breakfast, relating our days to each other, how they went, and so on. Each night she and I would traverse the cloud stairs of her home, her heading up to her bedroom, me breaking off into the living room.

The weekends were always welcome, even if my weekdays were excellent. I slept in every weekend, finding her to do the same most of the time. A few weekends I attempted to begin teaching her how to cook, and by the time the fifth weekend rolled around, Rainbow could make pancakes that were actually edible. We spent most of the two days off flying around, her showing me a new trick here and there, me practicing some simple stunts of my own. Sometimes we would trot around Ponyville, usually to visit Dash's friends or to pick up groceries. The rest of the time not spent flying wherever and however we wanted or wandering about the town was spent just doing aimless things, like sitting outside on a cloud and watching other clouds lazily pass by, or pony-watching. I enjoyed just being in her company. Rainbow Dash would always be cheerful and playful, attempting to prank or scare me when she could, I doing the same. I found myself wanting the weekends to come quickly, not to get a break from working, but only to spend time with the rainbow-maned pegasus. When I let my thoughts drift, they would either go to her or to my past life that seemed so far away.

As the days passed by, nearing a certain day, I found myself both anticipating and dreading that day, not entirely sure why in either case.

***

Somewhat ironically, I think, I awake not to a sound, but because there is no sound. Something like that. I think my body's gotten so used to hearing the thumping of a semi-impaired Rainbow Dash in the mornings that the silence has awoken it, since it seems so out of place. I open my eyes halfway, glancing around. The room is sideways--oh, right. I roll off the cloud couch, sinking into the floor a little as I land on it. I wobble a little, my legs suddenly taking on my body's weight, before completely gaining my balance. I take another look around the room, which is right-side-up this time. There is no sign of the cyan blue mare I seek. I pause and take in my breath, holding it as I listen carefully for ten seconds or so. I hear...nothing. No, wait, there is...a very quiet crunching noise, coming from the floor below me. It sounds too quiet for Rainbow, but I decide to investigate, feeling hungry, anyways.

After padding my way down the stairs, I enter the kitchen and look around. The only other being I see in the fluffy white kitchen is Tank the tortoise. He is perched on a counter, chewing a small piece of a carrot that sits in front of him. I watch as he slowly leans his head forward, taking another bite and generating the small crunching sound I had heard. I frown in thought and a mild degree of confusion. Where is she? In response, my mind thinks about the conversation I had with her the previous night before we went to sleep.

"Oh, Ferrum, tomorrow I've gotta go in to work early. Get yourself some breakfast, and make sure Tank gets some, too, okay?" says Rainbow Dash.

I smile and nod. "Can do. Night, Rainbow Dash."

She returns the smile kindly. "Night, Ferrum." She turns and begins trotting towards the stairs, and I follow her upward.

That answered my question fairly well. I wonder for a moment why she might have had to go in early to her job, but remember that Mother Nature acts upon her own whims. I trot over to the small icebox, grabbing an apple in my teeth. I set the shiny red apple down on the low-sitting cloud table, and am about to go in for a bite, but am stopped by a nagging feeling. I close my jaws and return my head to an upright position, staring off out the window in thought. I go through a few things in my mind. I know where Rainbow Dash is. I am on time for work, judging by the low-sitting sun. Tank is fed. What am I missing...?

I attempt to remember the date. It's February, 2013 A.D. in Earth years. I think to myself that I ought to stop trying to remember the year, being that it doesn't really matter anymore. What's in February...what day is it? On the fifth I had made my thirtieth knife, a hunting blade with a serrated edge and a five inch blade. That was a week or so ago, I think, so it should be the middle of February.

Upon this thought I remember what day it is. It's February fourteenth. Valentine's Day. Or more, Hearts and Hooves Day. I let out a sigh. I'm not one of those people, or ponies, who absolutely despised Valentine's/Hearts and Hooves Day, but I don't particularly like it, either. Mainly, it reminds me of what a lonely bastard I am, as it likely does for quite a few others. A much more lonely bastard at this point, my brain reassures me cheerfully. My thoughts dart to my family, even some of my past friends. Gone. I find myself not feeling sad, really, but more...empty. I snort quietly, maybe in disgust, or even sick humor, I can't really tell what. I bite into the apple that has been patiently awaiting its destiny of being eaten. I focus on the crunching, and my memories dissipate; the thought of the date does not, though. I mull over the present holiday a little, just repeating the date and the holiday's name in my head. February fourteenth. Hearts and Hooves Day.

I glance out the window I sit across from again as I chew the sweet-tasting fruit. An image displays itself in my mind, one that has been doing so more and more as of recent. Though she is not in my sight, I see Rainbow Dash, her magenta eyes friendly, looking at me, a soft smile on her lips, multicolored hair streaking down her cyan face and neck. I smile at the thought of her. I do not think anything else, only admiring the vision in my head. After a moment I realize where I am again, and her image dissipates as well. I realize I should probably hurry up and get to work, wondering how long I was thinking. I hastily chomp down the rest of my apple, depositing the core in the trash can before saying a goodbye to Tank and pushing out the door.

***

I press my head against the door of the stone building, pushing it inward. Cold winter air and the bustle of the town square of Ponyville gives way to a warm room and silence. I look towards the counter in the middle of the front room, but I don't see the gray pegasus that usually stands behind it. I feel my face twist a little in confusion. I trot slowly towards the back of the room, looking around at the shiny metal tools and trinkets on the walls around me as I do. Some of them are mine, notably the knives. Forge had asked if he could display a few of my knives made in my spare time, and I happily agreed; it wasn't like I would be using them. I maneuver around the counter, pushing through the next door into a room warmer than the last.

I glance around, searching my somewhat-dim workplace. My eyes lock on to the only movement in the room, Forge twisting a slowly-heating piece of steel over the pit of fire bearing his name. I take a few steps closer to the forge, and see him glance up at me, raising his eyebrows and head for a moment as a greeting. He returns his focus to the piece of metal in the tongs he holds with his jaws, which is now glowing a red color. The color of the hot steel tells me Forge will be standing there for a few more minutes; I know that the metal needs to be a bright orange, almost yellow in glow, before it can be tampered with properly. If the metal is red, it is still too hard to hammer or shape, and if it is white, then it is close to melting (or already is melting). I turn away, intending to find myself something to do until he is free to talk.

I trot over to my designated workbench. Boxes with knives layered inside them sit neatly under and to the side of the steel table. Some tools lay spread out, side by side, on top of its metal surface. My latest knife project is gripped in the vise that is built in to the workbench. I had recalled a more odd style of knife, almost a shortsword, known as a "tanto", which did mean "short sword" in Japanese. I decided upon its design earlier in the week, figuring some experience in making double-edged blades would be good for me. I lean forward and grip the handle of the vise with my teeth, twisting my head a few degrees counter-clockwise to loosen its grip. I grab the handle of the knife and pull it free of the vise, and begin carefully making my way to the grinding wheel on the opposite side of the torch-and-forge-lit stone room, watching Forge and the door to avoid stabbing someone by mistake.

The grinding wheel hasn't been kind to me, and has given me many scrapes on the forelegs, shoulders, and face. I can't seem to avoid getting nicked by it every so often. I begin pedaling one side at a steady rate, angling the partially made tanto towards the spinning stone. Sparks glance off, most away from me, but one reflects back and hits my forehead. I pause, making sure I haven't caught fire--I was informed by Forge at one point that fur and manes could be fairly flammable, as he knew by personal experience--but luckily I have not, and continue to grind down the silver metal I hold in my teeth.

After a few minutes of sharpening, the second edge of the blade is created. I set the knife down on the floor momentarily, looking from the left edge, to the right edge, comparing them in symmetry. Both appear to have the same angle and sharpness, so I am content, and pick up the tanto again. I move around the grinding wheel to the micro-gem-studded belts that are pinned against the wall. I rub the blade of the knife up and down the custom-made cloth, occasionally flipping the knife in my mouth to sharpen the other blade, or turning to my opposite side to sharpen the other side of each blade. Once completing this, I look cross-eyed at the tanto in my mouth, turning it with my jaws to see both sides and both blades. It appears complete, but I want to test it out anyways.

I return to the opposite wall, noting Forge as I trot across the room. He is hammering the piece of metal he had been heating on a side of the forge, flattening the bar in preparation to create a sword of some sort. I reach my workbench, sidestepping over to a cardboard box beside it, half-filled with shaped steel. I flip my new blade in my mouth a little, then lean down steadily towards a side of the box. The tanto begins slicing easily through the edge of the cardboard, and a flip to the other blade shows the same results. Two more slices have appeared in the side of this box, joined by many others all over every box I own. I smile with pride in my accomplishment, and set the newly made weapon down in the box it cut into only moments ago. As I pull my head back up from the box, I begin wondering about my next project. Maybe along the lines of Japanese weapons, a katana? I haven't tried making a full-blown longsword like that, yet...

My thoughts are interrupted by some clanging elsewhere in the room. I turn to the source of the noise, seeing Forge inspecting a large sword blade he has dropped on the floor of the smithy. I trot over to where he is, also looking down at the fresh blade. It has no edges on it, yet, but is obviously the blade for a very large sword. I think of vikings and the swords they would carry while I look at it. That thing's gotta weigh at least forty pounds...

Forge turns to me, the hint of a smile crossing his face. "I'm going to try to make a greatsword. For show, really. These things are hard to pick up, probably impossible to actually wield. I've only made a couple before, none as big as this one, though."

I chuckle in amazement. "Nice," I say. "How're you going to sharpen this thing?"

The gray pegasus laughs. "I have no idea." He scoots the large hunk of metal out of the way, turning back to me after he does so. "Got a question for you."

"Shoot," I reply.

"You got a fillyfriend?" Forge asks, grinning a little.

I'm somewhat startled by the question. It seems very offhand (offhoof?), especially coming from my boss. "What?"

He chuckles before continuing. "A fillyfriend. A mare? You know it's Hearts and Hooves Day?"

Mental face-hoof. Did I really forget that fast? Damn. I'm not sure how to answer, and I don't know why I'm not sure. "I, uh..."

Forge cuts me off, cocking his head to one side and just smiling now. "There is somepony. Not your fillyfriend, but there is a mare." His head returns to a normal upright position, and he begins grinning a little again, awaiting my reply.

I still can't seem to find a logical reply. "Uhh...how...?" I manage to get out, my own thoughts and remaining surprise mottling my thoughts.

"I can tell, kid. Got that look about'cha." His grin returns to a smile, and he looks a little more seriously at me. "Listen, Ferrum. Take the rest of the day off. We don't have any orders today, anyways, pieces of metal usually aren't great Hearts and Hooves Day gifts, and I'm thinking we've made everypony's shoes and other things for the Wrap-Up. You have some bits lying around?"

I'm still attempting to recover, but I figure I can answer his question with certainty. I silently nod a few times. I recall my supply of bits sitting beside Rainbow Dash's couch in her home, where I had been sleeping. I had been telling myself to find a bank or something, but hadn't gotten around to it. Multiple bags, made of cloth, sat in a pile resting on the cloud floor of the second story, ten bits in each bag. Even with helping Rainbow Dash buy groceries on a weekly basis as of recently, my supply of Equestria's currency remained plentiful. I figure retirement is a choice in this society; stay with a job until you're too old to work because you love what you do, or get out early and enjoy your life with more than enough money to sustain yourself. 

Forge nods, since he is already smiling. "Good," he continues. "Go buy her something nice, some flowers or something. Mares love that kind of stuff. Now go, alright?" He tilts his head towards the exit, motioning for me to leave. 

I nod my head a little shakily. "Thanks," I say, seemingly unable to say much more. I trot towards the exit of the room, trying to focus. What did he mean that "look" about me? How would he tell? Why did he let me go so early? My mind continues to swarm me with questions I can't currently answer as I press one side of my face against the door leading outside. A rush of cold wind hits my face as I step outside, but it feels good. It's cool and crisp, and I take a few deep breaths of it. I look around, seeing only shops and ponies around me in Ponyville's center. I turn to my left, then take another left around the side of the smithy I work at, heading down an alley created by the stone building and a neighboring shop.

I trot out of the alley, continuing to walk forward, getting as far away from the multitude of ponies clustered in the town square as I can. After a minute of weaving in and out of alleyways, I find myself at a frozen river. I look around; I have reached one of the outskirts of Ponyville, which is created by the river. A bridge crosses over from the town onto what I see is the Apple family's farm, and sits a few yards away from me. The air is generally quiet, only the distant sounds of ponies conversing and going about their morning business and the nearby sounds of ponies within their homes filling it. I sigh, pleased by the peace, and sit down on the bank of the icy river, which reflects some of the morning sun off its frozen surface.

I decide to sort some things out. Or at least, try to sort some things out. What did Forge mean, saying I had a "look" about me? my mind repeats. Did I have a "look" about me? How would how I look indicate I liked someone? Maybe it comes with age, life experience. I wonder for a moment if Forge had a wife, or a girlfriend--fillyfriend. Maybe that was how he could tell. But tell what? What could he tell about me? Go back, what was he talking about?

He was talking about Hearts and Hooves Day, today. Forge had asked me if I had a fillyfriend. I didn't exactly reply, and he said he could tell I didn't, but that there was someone. So he thought that I looked like I had someone I cared about, as more than a friend? My thoughts freeze on that question for a moment, frozen like the river I sit by. I hear some ponies talking amongst themselves a couple of streets behind me. A familiar image enters my thoughts as I stare at the ice, one I had seen earlier in the day. A cyan blue face, a mane of every color in a rainbow, large and friendly magenta eyes, an equally warm smile. I see only the image in my head for a moment, and a smile makes its way to my face upon seeing Rainbow Dash. I hear a distant voice in my head, repeating my earlier thought. He thought that I looked like I had someone I cared about, as more than a friend.

Do I?

The question seems to echo in my thoughts. I stare blankly at the reflective surface of the ice, the whitish color tinted yellow by the sun. I am suddenly flooded with memories. All of them are of Rainbow Dash. Seeing her for the first time, while she taught me to fly, during Hearth's Warming Eve, in the mornings, at night, soaring beside me in the sky, laying with me on clouds, of her wonderful smell, her warm touch, her scratchy voice and laugh that I loved to hear. I see Rainbow's soft, silky mane, filled with color, her friendly face, her warm smile, of her bright magenta eyes that glistened with friendliness and determination. I think of the elegance and power every aspect of Dash's body displays, and her ability to show that power and elegance in the air, with stunts that were all of intimidating, awe-inspiring, and beautiful to see. The last memory is of her personality, her brash and bold attitude on the outside, yet a loyal, kind, and friendly one within. 

The memories fade back into the recesses of my mind. I regain my vision and my focus. The river continues to sit motionless in front of me, snow covering the ground all around me equally still. I hear a few more soft noises around me, those of ponies beginning their mornings and going about their daily routines. I feel as if I know the answer to my own question, but...no...I can't. I'm different. I'm not a pony. I mean, I am, but I don't feel as if I am, not mentally. I still feel human. Why do I like her? She's a pony! A once-fictional character to me. Is there something wrong with me? I can't answer myself. I feel normal, like nothing is wrong with me. Why do I feel like I shouldn't like her, then? Why do I feel like I...can't? Or shouldn't?

Would it be wrong? The other part of me fighting with myself tries to find something that would imply yes, but it can't find anything, other than the fact Rainbow Dash is a pony. And so are you, I tell myself. I know I am technically, but...I can't get around the feeling I am human, though I am not.

Is there any difference?

Difference?

Difference from her being a human.

...

She has a personality, like a human, right?

...yes.

And so do you. She is a pony, right?

Yes.

And so are you.

I continue to stare blankly at the frozen water I sit on the bank of the river. Is it that simple? She is a human personality in a pony body, as I am? I remind myself not in the same sense, since I was actually human at a point. Still...I can't find anything wrong, as much as I am trying to. You know it's real, what you feel for her. You can't deny it. I weakly reply to myself that I could, but know I would only end up failing to do so. Go on, say it. Say what you know is true. I take in a breath, letting the chilly air out slowly. It feels nice in my throat, and is relaxing.

"I love her...I love Rainbow Dash," I whisper to myself. The voice inside my head disappears, and my mind feels blank. My own voice echoes within my head. I don't feel ashamed, as I had before when I would question myself. I feel happy, relaxed, satisfied. I realize my mind doesn't feel blank, it feels...clear. I stand up slowly, checking my backside for snow as I do. I thrash my tail a bit to shake the flakes of snow off of it, and focus on what to do next.
> Chapter 14
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I recall Forge's earlier comment, about using the day to get Rainbow Dash something for Hearts and Hooves Day. I silently thank him, hoping he knows I'm grateful, for both the time off and the wake-up call, whether he meant to give me it or not. He had mentioned flowers, and how mares seemed to enjoy them. Rainbow is too cool for flowers. She'd probably think they're lame. Then again, I am a pretty lame guy. I turn around, back towards Ponyville, and begin trotting forward aimlessly. Well, if I'm getting flowers, what's her favorite color? Wait...oh, damn. I had no idea which color she liked. Damn it, why do I have to love the most colorful pony in all of Equestria?

The center of Ponyville is a few blocks ahead of me; I can hear the volume of the many ponies filling it steadily increasing as I trot towards it. I hadn't seen a specific florist's shop at any point, but I feel there may be a stand selling flowers in the square. I near the crowded area, passing through the alley beside my workplace a second time and entering the circular town square of Ponyville. Being tall has its perks, especially in crowds; most of the ponies around me are at least half a foot shorter. I scan around for any sign of a flower vendor. After a moment I spot one, a symbol of a rose emblazoning the sign above the stand. Quite a few ponies crowd around the large stand, and I patiently wait for a few minutes outside the cluster of colors.

Eventually the mess of ponies thins, and I make my way towards the vendor. I observe the selection of flowers in front of and below me, looking for those that stand out. None catch my eye, though; most of them are roses, most of the roses colored red, white, pink, and a few are even orange, but they seem...inadequate. At least for the pony I am getting them for. I step to the side to allow others to browse the stand, mulling over some ideas. My brain suggests an idea I find interesting to me, so I set my mind to go about it. First...

Stepping around one side of the wooden stand, I lean a little closer to the vendor; I see the pony managing the stand is a bright yellow earth pony with pink hair streaked with blue, a mare. "Excuse me, ma'am?" I ask the vendor in a voice just loud enough to make it over the noise of the crowd, but quiet enough so that I don't attract attention to myself. It's hard enough not to attract attention when I'm taller than the average pony and have an entirely black coat.

She turns to me, smiling. "Can I help you with anything, sir?" she says cheerfully.

"Yes, where do you get your flowers, if I may ask?"

"Oh! There is a florist on that side of town," she replies, aiming a hoof behind her. "But, I actually get mine from this nice mare who lives outside of town." The yellow pony moves her outstretched leg in another direction; I begin to get a hunch as to which pony sells her flowers. "She lives in a little cottage, you can't miss it. If you're going to go there, be careful, she's quite shy." Bingo.

I smile to the mare and tilt my head down. "Thank you," I say before turning around and trotting towards where she had pointed. Off to Fluttershy's, then. I hope I don't scare her too bad this time...

***

After a few minutes of steady trotting through Ponyville, I cross the bridge out of town, my hooves creating a clip-clop noise as they pass over the cobblestone. I had decided against directly flying to Fluttershy's cottage because it seemed like it would be rude when I was in the town, and by the time I had reached an area lacking many ponies to disturb, I was already close to my destination. Having crossed the bridge, I leave the dirt path leading into Ponyville, plodding through the snow towards the small cottage that sits in solitude, smoke lightly trailing from a chimney on one side of it. I eventually make my way back onto another dirt path, this one leading directly up to Fluttershy's residence. As I approach the house, it appears very quaint and very quiet. The snow covering it and the ground it sits on doesn't help the lack of noise, and all I hear is my hooves making piff noises as they impact the fine snow.

I think to myself as I trot towards the door that I can't imagine living completely alone like Fluttershy does. I enjoy being by myself, but on a near constant basis, I don't think I could handle for very long. She is far enough away from town so that there are little or no ponies around. I suppose that she does see her friends fairly often, and ponies stop by every once in a while for her veterinary-like services, but most of her time has to be spent alone. Well, many of the animals in this world seem to be sentient, able to think like us...plus the fact the main sentient animals are ponies. I snort quietly at the thought, a small, white puff of air appearing and disappearing in front of my nose as I do so.

Focusing again, I find myself at the front foor of Fluttershy's cottage. Try to be less...intimidating? I frown, confusing myself a bit. Every time I have tagged along with Rainbow Dash when she would hang out with her five other friends, Fluttershy has always kept her contact with me at a low level, usually keeping her distance. I wonder how this will go, talking face to face with her as I only have once before, at the Hearth's Warming Eve party. I raise my right foreleg, preparing to knock on the door, but stop myself, looking at my raised hoof. I move it around an inch away from the wooden door, then move it forward steadily. A soft and hollow-sounding thump resounds from the door. I tap a few more times in an attempt to make sure Fluttershy realizes someone is at the door. I step back and wait, five seconds, ten seconds, thirty seconds, a minute.

Finally, the door opens halfway. I am expecting to see a pony standing in the doorway, but instead see...nothing. I glance down, and spot what did open the door: Angel, Fluttershy's pet rabbit. Jesus, this asshole. Yes, I called a cute, harmless little bunny an asshole. I find it somewhat ironic that one of the nicest, gentlest, amiable ponies in Ponyville, likely in all of Equestria, owned the one of the most ungrateful, rude, and overall meanest animals I had ever seen. The writers of the television show seemed to like irony, didn't they? Fastest pony has the slowest pet, nicest pony has the meanest pet. I decide to see if Angel will be nice for a change, but I'm thinking I'll have to go bad cop anyways.

"Hey there. May I speak to Fluttershy, if she is home?" I ask the scowling little rabbit politely, preparing myself for his reaction. As expected, Angel shakes his head "no". I see the malevolent bunny pull the door back an inch; I can tell he's about to slam it in my face. Not going to happen, buddy.

Just as he goes to slam the door, I stick out a hoof. The wooden slab stops upon impacting my leg; by how hard the door actually hit my hoof, I can tell the rabbit is much tougher than he looks, at least tough enough to slam a door hard enough to make a nose bleed. I lean in towards him, smiling to myself, feeling pretty ninja. You stopped a bunny from slamming a door. Yeah, those are some mad ninja skills. Angel has a look of surprise on his face, not expecting his action to be countered.

"May I speak to Fluttershy, Angel?" I repeat, knowing the effect saying his name will have on him. If he's as smart as I'm guessing he is, or at least sly, he'll know I shouldn't know his name, being that I have never met him or been told about him. It appears he realizes this, judging by the moment of recognition followed by the look of mild panic on his face. He nods quickly, opening the door fully before scampering off. He returns with the pony I am looking for, then scowls at me before running off again. 

I lean my head into the doorway a little so I can see Fluttershy. As she comes into view, I see she sees and recognizes me. Her pupils shrink a little, turquoise eyes widening, and the pink-maned pony cowers a little, shrinking down and back. I attempt a friendly smile towards her, but she only cowers more, taking a step back. I'm beginning to get a little worried, when she finally speaks, barely.

"H-h-hello, F-Ferrum..." whispers Fluttershy.

"Hello, Fluttershy," I reply, keeping my voice low. She still lets out an "eep" when I begin speaking. I think she's shivering. Oh, man, I'm really freaking her out. I remain silent for a moment, thinking of something else to say in an attempt to calm her down. I can't think of much, so I decide to blatantly say, "Listen, there's no need to be afraid of me. I'm not going to hurt you, and I'm not trying to scare you, okay?"

The light yellow pony looks up at me, standing up a little straighter. Her shivering has stopped, so at least I'm getting somewhere. "Sorry...I just...you're tall...and your coat...and...you're scary...sorry," she finishes, her voice that started out quiet now barely audible, the apology coming out with a squeak. I smile a little, feeling bad for the horribly timid pony.

"It's alright. I am pretty tall, and I could see how that could be scary. And not many ponies seem to have a black coat, either, so I get that, too. I really don't mean to come off as scary, though. Would it be better if I crouched down or something, like this?" I joke, bending my knees to reduce my height. I hope that my joking around will help her warm up to me. It seems to at least help, as she stands up a little straighter again, now at normal height. I can still see some fear, or waryness, in her eyes, but Fluttershy seems to be more comfortable with my presence now.

She gives a tiny smile. "No, that's okay. I'm sorry for being afraid of you."

"It's alright," I repeat, giving as friendly a smile as I can. 

"So...did you need something? If you don't mind me asking..."

"Actually, yes, I do. I heard you have flowers, or a flower garden of some sort?"

Fluttershy's face brightens noticably. "Oh, yes, I do! I have a garden outside, where I grow lots of different flowers."

"Do you think it would be possible for me to buy a few flowers from you?" I ask. The word "buy" rings in my head for a moment. Buy, buy, buy...damn! I don't have money on me...I can always fly home real fast, I don't think Fluttershy would mind...I frown at my thoughts, wondering how much money I should bring back.

"Buy?" Fluttershy asks, cutting off my stream of thoughts. "You can have my flowers for free, I don't want any money for them. If that's okay with you," she adds.

"Are you sure?" I question. "I can pay for them, it's not a problem at all..."

"No, no, you don't need to. Please, follow me, I'll show you them, if you want," says Fluttershy, before turning and trotting towards a back door directly across the room from where I stand, outside the front door. I step into her house, shutting the door behind me after doing so. The small cottage is very warm on the inside. I look around the room as I follow the yellow pegasus, a few steps behind her. The room is fairly small in size, and holds little furniture. There is a couch along one wall, a light green in color. The wall it rests on is actually created by a staircase housing an under-the-stairs closet. Across from the couch is a small wooden table. On it rests a group of framed pictures; I recognize one as being the same photograph in Rainbow Dash's bedroom. The other pictures are of Fluttershy with a group of animals and of Fluttershy and Angel, one of only Angel. The room is made entirely of wood, adding to the small-cottage-feel, and is decorated with a few floor rugs made of cloth.

I pass through the room, stepping out the back door behind Fluttershy. I look outwards, and spot a structure a few hundred feet away sticking out of the snow. It appears to be made entirely of glass; light from the sun glints off of its surface at multiple angles. A minute or so of plodding through the powdery precipitation on the ground leads us to what I now recognize as being a greenhouse. Through the glass walls I can see many rows of flowers and plants inside, blooming and growing healthily despite the weather conditions outside. Fluttershy pushes open the glass door leading into the greenhouse, and I follow her inside.

I have never really liked greenhouses because of how the air felt inside them. This one is no different; hot air so humid it's nearly stifling. However, I feel grateful for the fact Fluttershy does have a greenhouse. Flowers of every color, plants of every shape and size grow around me, their cartoon-ish appearance making them appear all the more colorful and healthy. I smile, a feeling of eagerness about me. I see the yellow mare turn to me in my peripheral.

"Pick as many as you'd like, they grow back. Please be careful with them, they're very delicate..." Fluttershy advises, frowning a little with worry.

"I will be," I reassure her, silently hoping I don't trip or anything. "You're sure you don't want me to pay you for them?"

"I'm sure," she says with a small smile. The pegasus turns towards the exit of the greenhouse, trotting towards it. She stops at the door, turning her head to me again. "Um...if I may ask...who are the flowers for?" For a moment I wonder if she is hoping for her, but judging by her tone of voice, I think against it. I smile at the thought of who I am getting the flowers for, also feeling some heat rising in my cheeks.

"Rainbow Dash," I answer, fairly sure my face is some shade of red.

Fluttershy smiles a full smile, one I can tell is genuine, lacking any sign of her usual timidness. "I think she'll love them," she says, then turns away and trots out into the snow. I smile to myself and turn back to the array of flowers in front of me. I begin pacing up and down the aisles lined with plants, observing each one as I pass by. I recognize some of the flowers like the roses, tulips, the simpler and more common flowers, but most of the names of the plants escape me. There are plants and flowers of every color in the greenhouse, which actually suits me just fine. I decide to begin collecting the colors of flower I am looking for.

My first stop is at a rose bush, one of many. The roses of this bush are a deep red color, while the surrounding bushes hold white, pink, and other colors of roses. I lean my head in towards one of the larger flowers growing on the plant, pushing my way through leaves to reach a suitable place to cut the stem of the rose I have selected. I bite down on the stem of the rose, wincing as a thorn pierces my upper gum. I gnaw on the stem until I free the segment of rose, which gently falls to the floor of the greenhouse. I reach down and carefully pick it up in my teeth, avoiding the thorns this time, and take the rose over near the exit of the greenhouse, where I lay it on the ground.

I delve back into the rows of plants, searching for my next selection. I come across an interesting looking flower that happens to be the color I am looking for; a bright orange. I try to remember what the plant is called; I believe it to be something along the lines of a dragon lily, a lily of some sort judging by the petals. I had learned about a lot of different flowers as a kid, being that my mom had kept a nice flower garden most of the time; some memory still remained from that time, but not much. A familiar twinge of sadness passes over me before I push it away. I press through the leaves of the plant again, seaching for a good place to cut the stem of the orange flower. This stem is easier to bite through, and I sever it in little time, picking the fallen flower up off the ground. I return to where the rose lays near the door of the glass building, laying the orange flower next to the red.

I search again until finding a yellow flower, a daffodil, I think. Maybe a buttercup, I can't remember. Either way, it looks nice, so I bite through the lower part of its stem, freeing the flower. I retrieve it and deposit it in the small pile of flowers near the door before returning to the menagerie of plants again. After around five minutes of searching, selecting, chewing, picking up, and dropping in the pile, I have collected my desired bunch of flowers. I lay the final flower, a purple one, atop the pile of flowers on the ground, looking over the small collection. I have collected a flower of each color in the rainbow and laid it here; a red rose, a orange lily, a yellow daffodil or buttercup, a green plant that is almost fern-like in appearance, a blue five-petaled flower, and the purple flower I just collected. The assortment is obviously colorful in appearance, and the diversity of the flowers adds...well, diversity. I feel that this small bouquet will do nicely for my colorful recipient. I lean down, scooping up the flowers in my mouth, all gripped by the stems, and push out into the wintry air, lit by late morning sunlight.

***

I land softly on the cloud holding Rainbow Dash's home, folding my wings to my sides and trotting into the house. Tank hovers over to me, and I greet him with a smile before making my way up the stairs. I exit into the living room, passing the exercise equipment stationed there and trotting over to the three couches, a table centered between them. I move to where my belongings, which currently only consists of bags of bits I have earned, sit next to the couch I sleep upon. I lay the flowers down gently next to the pile of small cloth sacks, out of sight, in case Rainbow were to come home early or something.

I eye the bags of unused coins for a moment. Reflecting on how I seem to have little use for money at this point, I decide to use some of it. Maybe I can find her a box of chocolates. Multicolored chocolates? Maybe Pinkie makes those...I shake my head, clearing my thoughts, and grab one of the bags, setting it to the side. Wait...where would I carry the bits, along with anything I might buy? Saddlebags. I take a final look at the coins and the flowers before turning towards the stairs. I make my way up another floor, reaching Dash's bedroom.

A quick glance around the room shows not much has changed since I was last in here; the covers of the bed are untidy, kicked off to the side earlier this morning, and the stack of books has changed again, the pile of books on the floor beneath the "unread" pile on the bedside table having grown larger. My eyes land upon the dresser in the room, and I begin trotting towards it. I feel some momentary guilt for going through Rainbow Dash's belongings without her permission, but push the feeling away. I open the uppermost of the three drawers in the small dresser, finding only rainbow-colored socks within. I shake my head a little and close the drawer, skipping the second drawer (which I know holds a scarf and some sunglasses) and leaning down towards the bottom drawer. I open it, and am welcomed with a saddlebag; I smile to myself and pull the bag out of the drawer, shutting the drawer again.

I breathe a little sigh of relief when I see that the saddlebags are a neutral gray color; I was expecting more rainbow-colored accessories. I fumble with the bag-and-harness setup for a few minutes, eventually figuring out how to get the bags beneath each of my wings with the straps over my back. The alien feeling is mildly uncomfortable, but manageable. I return to the cloud staircase, going back to my spot beside the couch. I lift a wing, allowing myself to open one of the bags, and place two bags of coins, ten bits filling each, in the open cloth container. I frown when I feel my weight shifting somewhat to my coin-carrying side, and at the fact that removing the two bags still leaves me with more bits than I really need. Do ponies have charities? I would have to find one, or find something better to do with my money than let it sit around.

***

I arrive in Ponyville's center for a third time today, scanning around for anything eye-catching. I do notice something out of place, that had not been there earlier. A new stand, a bright blue color seconded by bright yellow lettering on its signs, has made its way into the marketplace. Many ponies flock around it, and my interest is piqued. I make my way through the crowd, eventually getting to where I can see what the stand's main sign reads overtop of the heads of the ponies swarming around me. In intentionally jagged, almost lightning-bolt-like writing, the sign reads:

Wonderbolts Tickets

Well, I'll be damned. I smile in some disbelief at my good fortune. I wonder why I hadn't noticed the stand earlier, and glance up into the sky, intending to gauge the time. The sun sits directly at high noon, and I feel some of its warmth amidst the cold weather. I return my gaze to the stand, craning my neck to get a better view of it. I see that there are quite a few stacks of what appear to be large tickets. I assume that the stand only recently opened, which would explain my missing it earlier in the day and the quantity of tickets still remaining. Based off of the amount of semi-crazed ponies around me, pushing towards the bright blue wooden stand, I'm surprised there are still tickets left.

I continue observing the stand for a while longer, searching for...there. I catch a glimpse of the sign on the front of the stand, near the ground. This sign explains a little more than its counterpart:

Tickets to the Wonderbolts' annual Spring performance in Canterlot! Only 10 bits! Get them while you can!

I smile again, recalling I have brought twenty bits, which should be exactly enough for two tickets. Hot damn. Thank you, Celestia. I wonder momentarily if I should watch taking Celestia's name in vain; after all, she is a demi-god of sorts. Hopefully not a mind-reading demi-god, though. I return my focus to the stand selling the tickets, and decide to go for them. What better to get Rainbow Dash, number one fan of the Wonderbolts, anyways? I begin trotting forward slowly and carefully, avoiding the sea of ponies around me as best I can. If I don't make it out of this, tell my wife I love her, I joke to myself, feeling a little claustrophobic.

After a few minutes of being pressed against multicolored ponies, I eventually reach the stand. A pegasus stallion is vending the stand; I see he has a white coat and a bright yellow mane, which looks like a lightning bolt running down his head and neck due to the jagged edging of it. I show a friendly smile, and say, "Two tickets, please?"

He returns the smile, replying, "That'll be twenty bits." I reach back to the saddlebag I wear the holds my money, opening it and extracting the two jingling cloth bags, setting them on the wooden surface of the stand. He opens them, quickly counting out the coins. I do the same, counting and re-counting twenty on the dot. The pegasus closes the bags again, pulling them behind the stand. His head resurfaces and he slides out two tickets with a hoof, laying them on the colored wood boards. I carefully grab both tickets in my teeth. "Thank you, sir, have a nice day," he says.

"Thanks, you too," I reply through clenched teeth, attempting a smile before turning and escaping from the mess of ponies clustered around the stand. I trot out of the town square, going cross-eyed every so often to make sure I still have a good grip on both tickets. When I reach a less populated part of Ponyville, I turn and stuff the tickets into one of the saddlebags, making sure the bag is closed tightly before taking off into the air.

***

I spend the remainder of the day milling about Rainbow Dash's home. I return the saddlebags to their drawer and secure the two tickets next to the couch, alongside the flowers and my remaining bags of bits. I check on Tank, clean up Rainbow's room some, organize my own belongings in a more orderly fashion, and sit outside for a while. I also eat another hoof-covering's worth of liquid rainbow, something I had been doing on a fairly weekly basis. I hope rainbows are not an addictive drug of some sort, and that they are just basically a really tasty rainbow-colored hot sauce. When I notice the sun beginning to set, I head back inside.

I travel up to the second floor to retrieve some items. First, I grab the tickets; I note that on them is the exact location and date of the show in Canterlot, and that the show will be held March second. After some quick counting, I find that that is the first weekend following the Winter Wrap-Up, which stretches from February twenty-eighth to March first. Having figured that out, I spend the next minute trying to figure out where to best keep them on me, and eventually decide to tuck them into my feathers. When my wings are pinned against me, the feathers both conceal and hold the slips of paper quite nicely. I pick up my six flowers in my mouth, then head down the stairs of Dash's cloud home.

In the kitchen, I set the flowers down on the table and make sure the tickets are still between the feathers in my wing. I move to one of the windows in the room, peering out and waiting for a cyan blue, rainbow-maned pegasus. After a few minutes, Tank hovers down to join me. Soon, Rainbow Dash touches down outside her house in the sky. I smile, turning away from the window as she trots towards the house. I pick up the flowers in my mouth, check the tickets a last time, making sure they are out of sight, and wait a short distance from the door. Tank follows me, hovering by my head.

The door opens, and Rainbow takes a few steps in, turning to make sure the door shuts behind her. I watch as her head turns back towards where I stand, magenta eyes locking on to me. She smiles, then notices what I am holding. "Are those for...me?" she asks, voice crackling a little with some surprise. I nod, smiling. She takes a few steps closer to me, looking at the flowers. Dash cranes her neck around the flowers, looking at all of them up close. I stand still, tilting my head a little in her direction so she can reach them better. She pulls back, looking at me. "Did you pick these?" I nod again, still smiling. Color noticably reaches her light blue cheeks, creating a red color with a purple tinge. "They're awesome," she says softly, smiling and still blushing. She moves towards the group of multicolored flowers again, and I again tilt my head towards her. Rainbow Dash draws nearer to the flowers, opening her mouth; I assume she wants to take them, and continue tilting forward, offering them.

To my surprise, she instead bites into one of the flowers I hold in my teeth. What? I raise my eyebrows in surprise and question. She pulls back from the flowers, munching on one of them happily. She stops when she sees the look on my face, swallowing the flower. "What?" Rainbow asks, seeming a little confused. "Am I not supposed to eat them?"

I snort, laughing. I turn to the table and set the flowers down, continuing to shake with laughter. "No, you are," I say. "I'm just not used to that." I grin at her in amusement.

She starts smiling and chuckling as well, leaning down to bite off another flower. I continue watching her as she eats the flowers. While she chews her fifth flower, the orange lily of some sort, she says, "These are really good," before swallowing the lily and eating the last flower, the rose. I smile, feeling pleased.

"Good, I'm glad." She finishes the rose, smiling contently as I do. I see her start to blush again as she looks at me.

"Thanks, Ferrum," Dash says, smiling and trying to control her blushing at the same time. I grin at her.

"Oh, but I'm not done," I reply, giving her a sly look. I turn to one side so that a side of me faces the little cloud table littered with the stems of devoured flowers, specifically the side of me holding two slips of paper. I stretch out my wing, angling it towards the table and shaking it a little. The pieces of paper dislodge themselves from my feathers, floating down to rest on the table. I pull in my wing, ruffling the feathers a little to get them back into place.

I watch as Rainbow Dash leans down towards the table, reading the slips of paper. I can hear her mumbling quietly, reading the words off to herself. Suddenly she stops, breathing, mumbling, moving, and her eyes grow a little wider. I see her start again, quickly re-reading the ticket she is looking at. She stops again, and I wonder if she'll read it a third time.

"Oh my gosh," Rainbow whispers. She does indeed read the ticket again, then looks over at the other ticket, reading the same thing on it. "Oh my gosh," she repeats. I have a feeling I know what she'll say next, and can feel a grin spreading across my face. Dash looks up, then back down at the slips. "Oh my gosh!" She turns to me. Her eyes are enormous, pupils dilated so much that I can only see a small ring of light purple around them. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaims again. Rainbow Dash begins jumping up and down, very much mimicking Pinkie Pie's jackhammer-like bouncing, quickly saying, "Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh!" I am beginning to wonder if she'll ever run out of brea--

"Oof!" The wind is knocked out of me as I hit the floor, landing on my back. I feel my wings spread out behind me, my legs splayed out, and have a moment of deja vu. I open my eyes quickly, them having snapped shut upon impact.

On top of me is Rainbow Dash, looking extremely happy instead of extremely angry this time around. She is standing on my body, forelegs on my chest, legs on my abdomen. She begins bouncing up and down, balancing atop me and continuously knocking what oxygen I have left in me out of me. Rainbow is talking a mile a minute, and I am having a hard time catching what she is saying.

"Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh! How did you get Wonderbolts tickets they are so awesome I don't even know how you got them Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh!" I'm starting to see black spots in my vision, intensified every time she lands on my and jumps up again. She pauses to inhale deeply, and I take what opportunity I have. I quickly bring up a hoof and stick it in her gasping mouth, and she freezes, looking at my hoof.

"Rainbow Dash!" I wheeze. "Calm down!" She looks at me, nodding quickly.

"Mmph-hmm." Dash steps off of me, then continues bouncing a little as I remove my hoof from her mouth and push myself up to my feet, chuckling as I do.

"Okay, now slowly," I tell her, emphasizing "slowly" with a slow-moving hoof.

She breathes rapidly, letting out her breath with a "whoo". After a minute of calming herself down, she returns to an excited-normal state. "Sorry!" she starts. I chuckle and nod my head in reply. "How did you even get those? They sell really fast, and cost a ton!" Rainbow Dash bursts out; I find it mildly funny that she isn't exaggerating, being that the price was fairly steep and with the amount of ponies I had seen earlier.

"I had some extra money, and my boss gave me most of the day off. I was able to get to the stand pretty soon after they started selling the tickets, and I got some. I had a hunch you might want to go to a Wonderbolts show," I finish with a playful grin.

My sarcasm seems lost on her. "Well, yeah! They're only, like, the greatest stunt ponies ever!" she says, beaming.

I continue grinning. "I'm pretty sure you hold that title."

She laughs, blushing more. Rainbow pauses for a moment, looking at me, then quickly moves towards me. I brace myself for another tackle, wings spreading as I tense up. Instead I feel...warmth? On my chest, neck, shoulders, and on the right side of my face. I open my eyes that were anticipating hitting the floor, looking down and to my right. I see Rainbow Dash's neck pressed against my own, her soft, rainbow mane against my black fur. Her chest presses against mine, and both her forelegs are wrapped around my neck tightly. I can feel her chin against the back of my neck, her hooves resting just in front of my wings that are still outstretched in surprise at the contact. She's...hugging me.

I feel a little stunned; a combination of the contact, her warmth, how soft she feels against me, the familiar smell of purified oxygen and spiciness, the feeling of her light breath against my neck. I lift up my right foreleg, keeping my left one on the floor as to steady her and I, and wrap my leg between her neck and wings, lightly pressing my own face into her neck. I know it must only last seconds, but it feels like hours as Dash hugs me.

"Thanks, Ferrum," I hear her scratchy voice say quietly behind me. I nod, brushing against her neck as I do to show her I am nodding. It seems like she is about to pull away, but she doesn't. I loosen my grip a little, but she tightens hers, so I continue to hug her, silently questioning her actions. "No pony's ever done anything like this for me," continues Rainbow Dash softly. I can feel her breath on my neck as she talks, making my fur bristle a little. I feel her squeeze a little tighter again, and I gently do the same. Her head presses a little more into my neck. "Thanks." Now I feel her grip starting to loosen, and let go. She pulls away from my neck, propping herself back up on four legs again and taking a step back. Rainbow's face is a deep red color, and I am sure mine is also. We turn away from each other for a moment. I look down at the floor, still feeling stunned. I had never seen her act so...compassionate.

Standing there, waiting for the color to drain from my face, I think about what Dash had said, that no one had ever done anything like that for her before. I know her friends do things like that with her, go see shows and stuff, but...maybe she meant something else? Is it me? I don't know; I feel confused as it is right now, anyways. My cheeks feel cooler now, though, so I turn back to her, seeing her do the same.

"Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Rainbow Dash," I say to her softly, smiling.

"Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Ferrum," she repeats.

A dinner of hay-and-flower sandwiches, plus a snack of flower stems, passes fairly quietly. I ask how her day went, and she asks how mine went, and why my boss let me out early. I don't tell her about what he said, based on a feeling I shouldn't, so I say he let me go home because of the holiday and our lack of orders. Before we go to bed, we decide to keep the tickets in her dresser, since they would be less likely to fly out a window or something. She confirms the airshow is the weekend following the Winter Wrap-Up, only a day separating the Wrap-Up and the weekend. Everything settled, we say our goodnights and diverge paths on the stairs.

As I lay down to sleep, I can still feel her warmth around me, head pressed into my neck as mine is hers, forelegs wrapped around me, soft breath hitting my fur.
> Chapter 15
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I feel something prodding my shoulder, something flat, warm, and soft. I have a feeling it's early in the day; very early. I attempt to wait until the prodding goes away, but it doesn't. I continue feeling light pressure on my shoulder, then nothing, then the pressure again. Frowning a little, I turn onto my left side, face now pressing into the comfortable cloud couch I rest on, trying to escape the repeated taps. It stops for a moment, givng me some peace, and I begin settling back into the cloud furniture for some more sleep. 

A light sensation begins in the middle of my back, between my folded wings on my now-exposed backside. It moves quickly up and down my spine, rubbing against it repeatedly. I am hit an uncontrollable feeling, and roll onto my back to escape the sensation. "Yaaah!" I half-mumble, half-exclaim as I roll over, trying to stifle laughter. God, I hate being tickled! I shift my shoulder blades around a little, trying to get rid of the tickling feeling in the middle of my back, and open my eyes, more awake than I want to be.

Glancing over, off the couch, I see Rainbow Dash standing there, quietly shaking with laughter. She looks awake, but tired, and her mane is still a little ruffled. Then again, it is almost always a little ruffled. I smile tiredly, partly in recognition but also in what is left of my laughter from the tickle torture. I notice something different about her appearance; I see it is due to a bright blue piece of clothing she is wearing. It seems to be a vest of some sort, since it only covers her chest and upper back, leaving holes for her forelegs. A matching wristband, or legband, covers a portion of her left foreleg; a white star emblazons the blue band. I decide to ask her about the strange getup at some point this morning.

Before doing so, I state the obvious to her. "That tickled." I attempt to frown, but can't help but continue to smile at the cyan mare.

She grins in response. "Well, you wouldn't wake up, so I had to tickle you," Rainbow explains. I wonder for a moment if all pegasi are ticklish between the wings, then store the thought away for later revenge-related use.

I snort, then ask, "What time is it?" A split second later I realize that the lack of clocks may make it hard for her to tell me.

"Time to get up," she responds cheerfully, still grinning.

I snort again, then begin rolling slowly off the couch, giving Dash time to step back. I land on the floor, rotating my head left and right to crack my neck before returning my gaze to her. I watch as she turns around, picking something up off the floor before turning back. In her teeth she holds a blue vest, identical to the one she wears, save for a larger size. She drops the vest on the fluffy white coffee table between the couches, then faces me again, smiling. I look at the vest, observing it for a moment as it rests on the table.

"Well, put it on!" Rainbow Dash says. I give her a questioning look, still confsued. "You know what today is, don't you?"

"Uhh..." I trail off, beginning to look upwards, racking my brain as to what is so special about the day. 

"It's Winter Wrap-Up!" she exclaims to me. Really? Already? I delve into my thoughts for a minute, thinking about the date. Hearts and Hooves Day was about two weeks ago...no, exactly two weeks ago. Guess it is Winter Wrap-Up. Time seemed to go by quickly sometimes; not much had happened in that time, though, so I am a somewhat grateful for the change in schedule. The fact that the Wrap-Up starts on a Thursday, giving us the weekend, is an added bonus.

"Oh, yeah," I reply in remembrance. Glancing at the vest again, I quickly recall that the vests are worn in the Wrap-Up to designate a pony's team, the teams being the tan Animal team, the green Plant team, and the blue Weather team, which I seem to be on. "So, the Weather team?" I ask Rainbow.

"Yep! Hope you're ready for some flying," she tells me, grinning. "Don't worry, it's pretty easy. You just gotta follow me around, since I'm the team leader." She holds up her banded leg in display of her leadership status.

"Cool," I reply, smiling. I still feel tired. I look out the window, and notice the sky is a red-orange color; it's probably an hour or two before when I usually get up during the week. I turn back to the vest, skirting around the table before reaching the open bottom of the blue article of clothing. I lean down, pressing my head into the vest and table as I work my head inside the vest. I fumble with the cloth for a minute, having trouble getting my head through the upper hole of the vest. This would be a lot easier with some goddamn fingers...

I hear Dash chuckle; all I currently see is blue inside the vest. "Need some help?" she asks, sounding amused. I feel some embarassment, along with some amusement of my own upon thinking of how I must currently look.

"Yes, please," I say, standing there with a vest covering my head. She snorts, and a second later I feel a hoof rubbing the vest against my neck. The hoof withdraws, leaving a confused look on my face beneath the blue cloth.

"Um...can you lean down?" Rainbow Dash asks. I laugh and lean my head down, feeling the hoof resuming its work, pulling the vest down my head and neck. After a few seconds I can see again, and find myself staring at a white floor. I turn my head a little so that I can see the pegasus helping to dress me. I watch as she tugs on the vest with her teeth, bringing the piece of clothing fully into place around my neck. "There you go," Dash states, and I pull myself back to full height. I lift my forelegs, sticking them through the leg holes of the vest one by one. After another minute of fumbling, the blue vest rests neatly against the upper half of my black body.

I face Rainbow and smile, a little embarassed. "Thanks," I say. She nods, smiling.

"C'mon, we gotta hurry a little. The Mayor wants everypony at the town hall soon." She turns and trots down the stairs, me trailing a few steps behind her. As I follow her down and out into the kitchen, I hear her begin to hum. Or more, quietly sing.

"Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer."

I smile, listening as Rainbow sings to herself. Her voice is soft and smooth, lacking the scratchiness it usually holds. I also hear myself beginning to hum the song, recognizing and remembering it immediately. 

"Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!" she continues quietly, her voice accompanied by my octave-lower humming.

"'Cause tomorrow spring is here!" I join quietly, not being able to stifle myself. She turns upon hearing me join her in singing, but smiles and continues humming afterwards. I'll never get this song out of my head, I think, humming quietly on time with Rainbow Dash.

We quickly eat a breakfast of apples, then head outside to the last winter day until the next December. I feel as if I'll miss the winter season, it being my favorite, but am also ready for some warmer weather. Rainbow and I fly down directly to Ponyville's center. I see that most of the ponies of the town are surrounding one side of the town hall. We land on the outer edge of the group, and Dash turns to me.

"Okay, I've gotta get in position. See you soon!" she says before flying off again, heading over to an area a short distance from the crowd where two other ponies stand; I see that one is an orange mare with a blond mane covered by a cowboy hat, who is wearing a green vest--Applejack--and another pony I don't recognize, but who bears a tan vest. Rainbow Dash takes her place hovering above the other two ponies; I see her wave a leg in my direction, and I wave back before turning my attention to the town hall. The mayor of Ponyville stands before a small podium, and raises a hoof, silencing the chatter in the crowd I stand at the back of.

"Good morning, everypony!" the mayor says cheerfully. "As you all know, today is the day of the Winter Wrap-Up! I believe we are prepared and ready to make this the quickest Wrap-Up yet, so good luck out there, and let's bring in spring!" She pauses as the crowd cheers for a moment. What, am I the only one who's tired? I add in a "Wooo!" of my own for good measure. "And now, here is our official All-Team Organizer, Miss Twilight Sparkle!" I watch as a purple unicorn trots up from the front of the crowd, taking the mayor's place behind the podium. Twilight is wearing a tri-colored vest, a patchwork of the tan, green, and blue vests of each of the three teams.

"Okay, everypony," she begins. "Please go to your assigned team leader, who has the color of vest you have on. Ponies wearing blue vests go to the Weather team leader," I hear her say, watching as Rainbow Dash does a quick loop in the air to identify herself to the ponies in the crowd. "Ponies wearing green vests go to the Plant team leader, and ponies wearing tan vests go to the Animal team leader," finishes Twilight, Applejack and the leader of the Animal team waving their legs as she indicates them. She pauses for a moment, looking out into the crowd. "Any questions, anypony not have a vest or a team?" The group of colored ponies remains silent. "Alright, let's wrap up winter!" she cries, and another cheer erupts from the crowd.

The cluster of ponies, me within it, begins heading towards the three team leaders. As we near the three ponies, the group begins dissipating rapidly. I see pegasi beginning to lift off into the air, so I do the same, following them upwards and onto a large cloud. As I land on the fluffy surface of the cloud, I see a long line of pegasi stretched out along the length of it; Rainbow Dash stands in front of the midpoint of the forming line, watching as the mass of pegasi from Ponyville land on the big cloud. I touch down at the right end of the line, peering down it to see what has to be at least one hundred other winged ponies. I watch as Rainbow begins trotting towards the end of the line opposite me, speaking as she does.

"Okay, pegasi! We are the snow-clearers in the Winter Wrap-Up! Our job is to get all of the snow on the ground, then melt it away by clearing the clouds!" She pauses, her fairly distant cyan blue form turning around at the other end of the line. "First, I want everyone to clear off the houses, trees, and everything else! All of the snow needs to be on the ground! Then, when the Animal team is ready, we clear all of clouds and let the snow melt!" By this point she has reached me at the opposite end of the row of pegasi. Seeing me, she winks and smiles quickly before continuing, "Any questions?" The line of ponies remains silent as she stands a few feet ahead of me, waiting for any response. "Good! Let's go, everypony!"

The line of ponies on my left all begin lifting off, darting downwards and disappearing beneath the cloud layer. I am about to take off, but see Rainbow Dash about to speak up. 

"Wanna help me out?" she asks, her smile warm enough to melt all the snow by itself. I smile an equally friendly smile.

"Sure," I say, spreading my wings out, preparing to fly. She spreads her own, then jumps into the air, flapping them steadily, and I follow suit, hovering beside her. Rainbow smiles again, then takes off as the other pegasi did, diving below the clouds. I follow her down, and we begin our work.

She takes us out to a group of trees surrounding Ponyville, all of them full of snow. I see other ponies in and around the town, pushing white snow off of the roofs of homes and businesses and bucking trees mid-air to make the snow fall off of them. Dash flies down in front of a tree, kicking it with all four legs. The snow on the tree instantly falls off, leaving it bare and hitting the ground with a whump. I fly down to the tree beside it, repeating her actions. My hooves make contact with the bark of the tree, and snow falls from its branches, adding to the powder coating the ground. A light coating of snow showers my head, and I can feel the snowflakes in my mane. I shake my head, whipping the snow out of my hair before moving to another snow-covered tree.

Rainbow Dash and I do this for some time, clearing all of the trees in the area within thirty minutes or so. She then takes me over to where many of the pegasi are clearing the snow: the Apple family farm. Despite the tediousness of the work, I'm still enjoying it; the fact that I get to work with Rainbow makes it all the better. We join the ten other pegasi that are clearing the many trees of the Apple farm, bucking the snow off of the branches of the bare apple trees. By the time we meet up with the other pegasi who have helped us clear the farm's trees, my legs and hooves are hurting from all the kicking I've been doing. I think about headbutting the trees to give my hooves a break, but Dash decides to take us into town instead. As I pass over Ponyville, flying alongside the rainbow-maned mare, I see other pegasi ponies clearing the snow off the roofs of houses, lampposts, and anything else in the town with snow on it.

Rainbow Dash swoops down every so often, asking the various pegasi how they are doing before continuing on. She must eventually decide we aren't needed in Ponyville, and we continue to fly out of the town towards one of the ponds surrounding the rural town. We drop down to one of them which is covered in ponies skating about its surface. I feel a little pride in the fact that I made some of the skates they are using. Rainbow begins flying alongside a pink pony with frizzy pink hair of a slightly darker color, who wears a blue vest as Dash and I do; she gracefully glides along the surface of the frozen pond, slicing a line into the ice as she moves along.

"Hey, Pinkie, how you guys doing down here?" asks Rainbow Dash.

"We're doing great, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie cries gleefully, obviously enjoying herself on the ice. I eyeball the ice and the skates, knowing I would not last all of five seconds if I attempted to skate. Being tall and somewhat uncoordinated makes it hard to keep one's balance on anything less than a bicycle or motorcycle, pony or not. "We're almost ready for you pegasus-us-us-es to turn these ponds into ice cubes, just one more after this one!" says the pink pony, changing direction and spraying a little ice with her skates.

"Awesome, keep it up," Dash responds, chuckling at Pinkie.

"Bye, Dashie! And hi, Ferrum!" 

I smile, saying, "Hi, Pinkie."

"Bye, Ferrum!"

"Bye, Pinkie," I finish, chuckling at Pinkie's antics as well. I continue following Rainbow around the skies over Ponyville. The other pegasi seem to have cleared the snow off of the trees and buildings, creating irregular piles of snow about the ground. Seemingly satisfied, we loop back around and through Ponyville, Rainbow Dash calling out every so often and instructing the pegasi to return to where the Weather team had started. We travel back up to the large cloud above the town, me taking my original place near one edge of the cloud. After around ten minutes, all of the pegasi of Ponyville are back atop the cloud. Or at least, most of the pegasi; I don't see Forge anywhere, then notice I don't see any pony that shows signs of aging, nor any of the foals of the town. I assume that this is probably intentionally done, so that only the most able-bodied ponies are the ones participating in the Winter Wrap-Up. The line of ponies returns, me at the rightmost end again.

"Alright, everypony, awesome job out there!" begins Rainbow Dash, her scratchy voice raised so the group can hear. "We're gonna take a break, but when you hear the Animal team ring the bells to wake the animals, report back here for the snow and cloud-clearing part!" She turns back in my direction, pegasi lifting off and flying away around her as she trots towards me. A few pegasi remain behind on the large cloud, including myself and Rainbow. She sits down in front of me, stretching her wings and legs. I sit down as well, extending my wings and pulling them back against my sides, feeling the blue vest under them as I do.

"Liking the Wrap-Up so far?" Dash asks me.

"Yeah, this is really nice," I reply, smiling. "I only wish winter wasn't so short," I add.

She looks around at the cloud-and-pegasi-filled air, smiling. "Yeah. Winter's pretty awesome."

We sit in silence for a while, passing the time by stretching and looking around aimlessly. A few times our eyes lock on to one another's for a moment; we both end up turning away after a few seconds every time, continuing to gaze around. I want to keep looking into her large, friendly magenta eyes, but I realize I can't continue staring at her and turn away in embarassment. After some time I hear a faint jingling noise coming from below me, and feel a little relieved. I stand back up, watching as Rainbow Dash does the same. She moves back to her spot in the center of the cloud, awaiting the return of her team of pegasi. Only a few minutes later, every one of the colorful winged ponies is present on the cloud; it seems most of them didn't stray very far. Rainbow begins pacing down the line again, talking as she does. 

"Okay, is everypony here? Good! I want everypony to follow me, double-file formation! Try to keep the same speed as everyone else. No pushing, getting out of line, or going ahead of everypony else, got it?" I see many of the pegasi in the line nod. Rainbow Dash begins counting at the other end of the line, stopping at the exact middle and beckoning the pony she stands in front of to follow her. She continues trotting towards my end of the line, now followed by half of the ponies present. She stops to my right front, turning back to face me as I stand behind her, a light green pony to my left and many ponies behind me. "Ready?" she says quietly to me, smiling. I nod and give a smile of my own in response.

Rainbow lifts off into the air, me and the pony beside me following her upwards. The group of pegasi flies up and up, gaining some height above the clouds, midday sun shining brightly, patiently waiting to melt the white snow covering Ponyville. The cyan pegasus in front of me stops, hovering in the air and waiting for the rest of the group to level out. After a few seconds of waiting, she spreads her wings out flat and tilts downwards, diving towards the clouds. I follow her, watching the pony beside me do the same; I make sure not to smack the pegasus with my wing by accident.

We descend in a group nosedive. I feel a familiar press of air on my body, welcoming it eagerly. We begin nearing the layer of clouds over Ponyville; I see Rainbow Dash lock her forelegs outstretched in front of her, and mimic her. I understand why she does this when I see her punch a pegasus-sized hole in the cloud with a cookie-cutter-like effect. I feel my own hooves make contact, tearing a hole in the cloud as I pass through it. We continue to dive towards Ponyville at a steady yet fast rate. I glance back at the other pegasi; it is a truly amazing sight, seeing every one of the ponies behind me popping through the holes made in the clouds, allowing gravity to take them over but still maintaining perfect formation. I also note that a streak of rainbow, created by Dash's tail and mane, glides through the center of the two lines of pegasi; I wonder what this would look like from the outside, then return my gaze forward, squinting against the wind.

Approaching the ground, Rainbow takes a sharp turn, leveling out with the ground. I follow her, momentarily hoping none of the pegasi behind me crash into the snow-covered ground only ten feet below me. Rainbow Dash takes our group through the streets of Ponyville, pulling snow off of the nooks and crannies unreachable otherwise, like a pegasus-powered vaccuum. We sweep through each of the main streets, bringing the snow out of hiding and onto the open streets as we do. The process takes all of five minutes. After passing through the final stretch of the town, Dash angles upwards again, heading towards the clouds. As we approach the blanket of snow clouds over Ponyville, she levels out the group again, slowly angling into the clouds. Like a drill, we pierce the thick clouds, hooves outstretched, ripping apart the fluffy objects. She takes a very methodical path, back and forth, up and down, side to side, cutting the clouds into smaller and smaller versions of themselves.

After we make our last cut through the now much smaller clouds, Rainbow raises up a few feet and stops, looking over the two rows of pegasi. "Let's break them up!" she shouts. The pegasi behind me disperse, heading for the sliced-and-diced clouds. I watch as they begin bucking the cloud fragments, throwing themselves into them, headbutting them, and even punching the small clouds, causing them to dissipate into the air as a fine mist of water. It looks like the most hardcore pinata party ever, only with clouds and ponies. Dash hovers into my field of view, and I turn to face her. "Well, come on, this is the best part!" she exclaims, flying down to begin beating the living hell out of some clouds. I smile and join the flying ponies.

Rainbow Dash is right, it is the best part. I have a good time annihilating the small clouds, making them scatter with a variety of punches, kicks, ninja chops, and even a few WWE-style elbow drops. After a few minutes of epic battle with the harmless groups of condensed water, I find myself worn out and panting, a smile on my face. Looking around, I see other pegasi in the same condition, along with no clouds in sight. Rainbow flies over to me, grinning, chest heaving as well. I grin back, my panting preventing me from saying anything. I think she knows I enjoyed the experience.

She flies up a little higher, directing her attention to the general mass of pegasi hovering in the air. "That was awesome, everypony! Nice job!" I hear a hundred cheers and even a "YEAH!" in response to Dash, and I give an excited shout as well. The pegasi disperse, returning to the Ponyville, job complete. She hovers back down to my level, still smiling and panting. She nods towards the ground, and we fly down to the outskirts of Ponyville.

As I reach the ground, I notice the snow already starting to melt under the hot early-afternoon sun. I let my wings hang loosely at my sides, sitting down as Rainbow Dash does on the ground, recovering my breath and resting. A few minutes of quiet panting pass as we sit on the ground, watching the snow turn to water. I am the first to break the silence.

"That was fun," I comment.

"Yeah, that was awesome," agrees the cyan blue pegasus sitting beside me.

We spend the next few hours recovering and trotting around a fairly empty Ponyville. We eventually end up at the Apple farm, where we see many earth ponies pulling plows and planting seeds. Twilight Sparkle and Applejack oversee them, watching patiently as the Plant team finishes the Winter Wrap-Up by planting new life in the ground. By the time the sun is setting, reddening the sky, the Winter Wrap-Up is complete. Everyone is called back to the town hall, and the mayor again addresses the large group of ponies.

"The Winter Wrap-Up is complete, just in time for spring! According to Twilight, we have finished in record-breaking time!" A cheer explodes from the crowd; I turn and smile at Rainbow Dash, seeing her do the same. "I am very proud of you ponies! You worked very hard, and got it all done. Happy spring!" the mayor finishes, smiling and waving  goodbye before she turns and goes into the town hall. The crowd of happily chattering ponies begins to break apart, and Dash and I begin moving away from the crowd before flying off towards her home.

We land outside her door, then push inside. We decide on muffins for dinner, seeing as they can be grabbed and eaten more quickly than sandwiches. I hungrily devour my muffin, a banana flavored one, not missing a single crumb. Rainbow seems equally hungry, seeing as she eats her own muffin just as quickly. After eating, I start to feel tired, more physically than anything.

"Aw, hay, I'm feeling pretty sore," I tell Rainbow Dash, smiling but not joking. I feel a little proud of the fact I was able to throw in some pony lingo as well, something that had been giving me hell--er, hay.

"Oh, you big wuss," she jokes, grinning. Her grin dims to a tired smile. "Nah, I'm feeling sore, too. Call it a night?"

"Yeah," I agree. We begin trotting up the stairs as we have done for two and a half or so months, saying our goodnights before parting into separate floors of her cloud house. I take to the fluffy clouch, flopping down upon it, wings and legs splayed about. I groan a little in relaxation before tiredly closing my eyes.
> Chapter 16
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I feel a light breeze pass over me, making my hair stand on end in a response similar to getting goosebumps. The breeze only lasts a second before going away. Then, another breeze hits my fur. A pause, then another, then another pause, then another breeze. The light wind seems to be coming at a steady rate, blowing over me every other second. My semi-conscious mind is starting to feel confused. Out of curiosity, I open my eyes halfway.

I am met with a pair of large, bright, magenta-colored eyes, only a few inches away from my own blue eyes, which widen in surprise. I feel my wings strain to expand, but they are pressed underneath my weight as I lay on my back against the cloud furniture. After a split-second of recognition, I relax; Rainbow Dash's face hovers...above mine? She wears a giddy look, a toothy smile that reaches her eyes and ears covering her cyan blue face. Colorful unkempt bangs stream down a side of her forehead, partially covering one eye. In my peripheral, I see her wings beating steadily, keeping her aloft and above where I lie, sending a breeze through my fur every so often.

I smile up at the pony hovering above me. "Good morning," I say to her.

"Yeah it is! Ready to go see the Wonderbolts?" she half-asks, half-exclaims. Rainbow's breath reflects lightly off my face as she speaks; I smell a familiar spicy aroma. I think about her question, momentarily remembering Hearts and Hooves Day, getting the tickets for the show following the Winter Wrap-Up, which was two days ago. My day off yesterday (given to the ponies of Ponyville as a sort of thanks for the Wrap-Up) had been nice, creating a three-day weekend. I had spent the day sleeping in and flying around with Dash; I now recall her near-endless discussion of the Wonderbolts and of today's airshow.

"Oh, yeah." I glance over to a window, seeing that it's early in the morning, the reddish sun just beginning to peek over the distant horizon. "Why are we up so early? Doesn't the show start at, like, midday?" I ask, feeling tired.

"Well, I figured we should probably get an early start! Come on, get up!" she exclaims, far too energetic for the time of day. She hovers over a few feet, allowing me to roll off the couch and onto my feet. I stretch my wings and legs out, holding my breath, then sighing it out as I relax. The light blue mare darts like a hummingbird to the stairs, waiting impatiently as I casually trot over to the stairwell, starting to head down. When we reach the kitchen, she rushes past me to the icebox, pulling out two apples in rapid succession. Rainbow Dash throws an apple onto the table, and it rolls over towards me. I sit down at the small table, stopping the apple with a hoof and preventing it from going off the edge of the cloud surface.

I eat my apple at a normal pace, watching as Rainbow eats hers as fast as Applejack would. She drums her hooves on the table until I finish the fruit; I wonder if ponies have energy drinks, and if so, how many she has drank this morning. As I drop my core in the trash can, I hear rapid movement behind me.

"I'll be right back!" Dash calls, already shooting up the stairs. I wait for a few seconds, listening to the rustling coming from the floors above, then as she speeds down the stairs again. The rainbow-maned pegasus reappears in the stairwell, now wearing her saddlebags and grinning immensely. "Okay, I've got the tickets!"

"Hold on," I say, trotting over to her and smiling at her energy. Upon approaching her, I lift the flap on one of the cloth bags, peering inside. I reach my head into the saddlebag, grabbing one of the tickets that rests at the bottom of it in my teeth. I pull the ticket out and bring it over to the table in the center of the room, setting it down face-up. I begin to read the small yellow print of the blue ticket.

Ticket to Spring Wonderbolts Show. Royal Stadium, Canterlot. Begins midday, Equestria Standard Time.

Wonderbolts is written in larger writing beneath the information on the ticket, in the lightning-like font that seems to be on anything Wonderbolts-related. I pick the ticket up and flip it over, finding the exact same information and logo on the other side of the ticket. I pick the ticket up again, returning to Rainbow Dash, who watches me with some curiosity, placing the ticket back into the saddlebag beside its companion and closing the flap of the bag.

"Okay, the ticket says the show's at the Royal Stadium in Canterlot, and starts at midday. Know where that is?" I ask, unfamiliar with the town in question or any of its landmarks (save for the royal castle, which I had seen plenty on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.).

Her face brightens some in recognition, look of curiosity returning to a look of giddiness again. "Yeah, I know exactly where that is! Are you ready now?"

I chuckle a little, nodding. "Let's go," I say, moving to the door leading outside and pushing it open, holding it for her. We take a few steps outside before Dash lifts off into the air, already heading towards the large capitol of Equestria in the distance. I struggle to keep up with her fast pace at first, but after a few minutes she slows down some, and I reach her side. We fly over Ponyville, past Sweet Apple Acres, and across the rolling hills and small forests of this area of Equestria; the land appears fresh and pure in its spring state, and the air feels the same, now warmer and less dry as it passes around me. Our trip takes us over a fairly large distance, and ends up taking around two hours in total, including a pause in a forest, where she and I eat some fruit from the trees growing there before continuing. Rainbow keeps the flight from getting silent by constantly talking about the Wonderbolts. So much, in fact, that by the time we approach Canterlot, I know the names of every member of the Wonderbolts and their described appearance, along with every trick the flight team has ever done.; the words "cool", "awesome", "radical", and all their variants, are used often. After the first twenty minutes I stop trying to remember everything, and instead just admire her excitement and the sound of her voice.

"...so then Soarin' and Spitfire dove through the middle, which was totally awesome, and then...oh, hey, we're here!" Rainbow Dash says as we land outside the gates of Canterlot. I look through the open gates, guarded by two white pegasi wearing gold armor. The city looks massive, and I know I am only looking at a small portion of it. It is obviously very high-class, the housing elegant and decorated, the streets made of well-paved stone, and the appearance of the ponies trotting about. The ponies hold my gaze for a moment; they strike me as odd. Most of them are as tall as I am or taller, and none are as small as Rainbow Dash (save for the tourists in the city, who I assume have come from places like Ponyville for the airshow). They wear their manes in various hairstyles, all expertly sculpted, and some of the ponies even have mustaches. I silently question how that is even possible. The most prominent feature of the residents of Canterlot, save for their seemingly abnormal height, is the way they carry themselves; all of their chests are puffed out in pride and they hold their chins high, some appearing to walk about with their eyes closed.

Living in "fly-over country", the area where the American media didn't really give two damns about that contained everywhere in the U.S. except New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C., I know the feeling I am currently having quite well. On trips to said cities, I would look amongst the high-class citizens and feel a mixture of unworthiness along with disgust. The upperclassmen, media figures, politicians, and the like, held themselves with pride; but, most of the time, it was pride they did not deserve to carry. I see the same here, and can instantly tell that many of these ponies hold that haughty attitude, looking down upon those not as wealthy, mannered, or in the same level of the caste system as they.

I look away from the ponies, back at the architecture I see through the gates. I can see the royal palace in the distance, home of princesses Celestia and Luna. It sits high above the city, not looming over it, but more looking as if it is watching over Canterlot, along with the rest of the kingdom. White spires covered with gold decorate the main castle, their shapes almost giving an Indian or Turkish appearance to the castle. The white paint with gold decor covers the castle and some of the larger buildings in town, adding to the well-refined and wealthy appearance of the city. I can't see much more outside the gates, though, and turn my head to face Rainbow Dash. She turns back and nods towards the gates, grinning in excitement. We trot forward, entering the town.

A glance to the sky tells me that it is approaching midday, but there is still some time to burn. "What do you want to do while we wait for the show to start? We've got some time," I tell the cyan pegasus trotting to my left.

She looks up at the sun as well, then contorts her face in thought. "Uhh...I dunno. I don't come to Canterlot very much." Rainbow leans in towards me, then whispers, "It's not a very cool town, y'know? I mean, it's cool because Princess Celestia and Princess Luna live her and all, but all the ponies are real..." She trails off, searching her vocabulary for the right words.

"Fancy, proper, stuck-up?" I finish for her, my voice also low to avoid insulting the fancy, proper, stuck-up ponies all around us.

"Yeah," says Dash, nodding. I smile in agreement. "Um...let's find the Royal Stadium first, maybe we can just hang there until the show starts."

"Alright," I reply, nodding at the suggestion. We continue trotting through the streets of Canterlot. Ponies tower all around us, their chatter filling the late morning air. I am starting to feel a little intimidated; I'm not used to people (or ponies) being taller than me. Wonder how Dash feels...Glancing at her, I see she is straining to see over the ponies around us, attempting to guide our way to the stadium where the Wonderbolts will be performing. She must see me out of the corner of her eye, for she turns and looks up at me. I can see her mind working for a moment.

"Can you look around and tell me what you see, name the streets and stuff? You're way taller than me," Rainbow Dash says, smiling sheepishly.

I chuckle, nodding to her before craning my neck to see over the sea of high-society ponies. I scan around for a few seconds, taking in the environment. "Okay...looks like we're on Starlight Street, and there's an intersection up ahead, with...Crescent Avenue. I think there's a bakery on the corner..." I inform her, squinting to focus on the street signs and landmarks. I return my focus to where she trots beside me, seeing her thinking again. After a moment, Rainbow frowns, looking over to me.

"I have no idea where we are," she tells me, laughing. I snort in laughter as well. "Um, okay..." she looks around before spotting an alley in between two buildings, devoid of tall, well-groomed ponies. "Follow me." I do, maneuvering through the crowded street to get to the empty pathway. Upon reaching the alley, Dash motions skyward with a foreleg before jumping into the air and hovering, pushing against gravity to rise above the buildings creating the alley. I do the same, meeting her a few seconds later in the air.

Now, I can see almost all of Canterlot. The city is huge, stretching miles in all directions. Hundreds of thousands of buildings, many of them houses, fill the landscape. A few landmarks stick out, looking as regal as the castle does. The mass of the city is awe-inspiring, to think how long it must have taken the city to reach its current size, and with fewer advanced building tools and techniques.

"There it is!" Rainbow Dash exclaims beside me. I turn to her, noticing her right foreleg pointing to something in the distance. I follow her leg's aim, and see a large and wide structure in the distance. It bears the white-and-gold coloring that the other major buildings in Canterlot do, and is reminiscent of an American football stadium in appearance and size rather than of the arena I had seen in Cloudsdale. "Come on, we'll just fly there," says Rainbow, beginning to fly towards the stadium. I propel myself towards it as well, hoping the ponies of Canterlot won't think we're too rude for landing amongst them.

As we near the Royal Stadium, I see a cluster of color outside it. Hundreds of ponies are situated outside the entrances into the large, oval-shaped structure, gathered in groups of those they know and talking amongst themselves. We land outside the group; I see that there are many more normal-sized ponies here, and breath a small sigh of relief. There are some groups of Canterlot natives, but they are much fewer in number here than on the streets. I even see a few ponies I have seen before in Ponyville, a couple of which I recall seeing at the ticket vendor on Hearts and Hooves Day.

I look over at Dash, who is peering at the group of ponies, a mild look of question on her face. "I have a feeling they're waiting to get in," I tell her, and she turns to me, raising her chin in understanding. I sidestep around her, looking around one side of the group. At one of the entrances to the stadium, standing in front of the double doors, is a pair of pegasus ponies. They wear blue vests, the sides of the vests imprinted with yellow lightning bolts; I assume they are guards of some sort. I turn back to Rainbow Dash, jerking my head towards the guards. I begin trotting towards them, attempting to look friendly.

As I near them, one says, "Stadium's closed for now. The Wonderbolts are setting things up." That was convenient.

"Thanks," I reply, nodding to the one who spoke and receiving a nod in return. I turn around, trotting back to the group of ponies, Rainbow trotting beside me. "Well, that answers that," I tell her. "Just want to chill here until we can grab our seats?"

"Sure," she says. We make our way over to a spot a short distance from the group, one of the entrances still in sight. She sits down on the stone ground, so I do the same next to her. "This is gonna be so awesome. I've never been able to catch one of the Spring Wonderbolts Shows. I've heard they're really cool, and that the Wonderbolts always do a bunch of new tricks to start off the flying season." Dash checks her saddlebags again, confirming the tickets are there, which they are. I smile at her excitement.

"Ever show them some of your tricks?" I inquire.

"Yeah, a few. A bunch only I can do, 'cause I can make rainbows if I do certain stuff, but other ponies can't. Like, my Sonic Rainboom."

"Hmm," I hum in understanding. We continue to sit for sometime, mainly making small talk or listening to the other ponies talking in the large group composed of smaller groups. After what seems like ages of waiting, I finally see the pegasi guarding the doors I can see beginning to move around. Another pegasus brings a small table out of the stadium, setting it up beside the entrance. The three pegasi set up some things on the table, including a sign that reads "ticket collection". I look over at the rainbow-maned pegasus on the ground beside me, watching the excitement starting to spread on her face. After five minutes or so, one of the ponies with a blue vest loudly alerts the crowd of something I can't fully make out, but the various Ponies begin moving towards the two entrances on the face of the large stadium. Rainbow and I stand up, following the group.

Approaching the newly set-up table, manned by one of the vested pegasi, I open Rainbow Dash's saddlebag, extracting the tickets carefully. I place them on the table in front of the pony, and he smiles before carefully looking at the tickets. Apparently deciding they are not fake, he places them into a box below the table, filled with other tickets. At the same time, he grabs something else from under the table, setting it before us on its surface. They appear to be necklaces, bearing a pass of some sort on the ends of each. Rainbow grabs the necklaces in her teeth, grinning at the pegasus. I smile cheerfully to him, then follow Dash into the stadium.

My impression of the stadium being similar to an American football stadium seems to be more accurate than I thought. We trot out into an area holding grandstands which line the entire outside of the large oval center of the building. The seating is likely enough to hold at least fifty thousand ponies. I look around in awe at the massive size of the structure, nearly bumping into Rainbow Dash as I do.

"Where do you wanna sit?" she asks excitedly.

I smile and reply, "That's up to you, I'm fine sitting wherever."

She nods happily and trots along the bottom walkway of the grandstands, looking up into the seats and searching for a good spot. I continue looking around. I see the colorful specks of ponies here for the show wandering about the seats or already sitting down. I notice the seats aren't really seats at all, but benches; I realize human seats would probably be uncomfortable or unnecessary for a pony, being the way ponies' backs angle forward when they sit and all. More and more ponies continue to stream in through the entrances, filling the grandstands with more and more color. Looking towards the center of the stadium, which is a natural field, expertly maintained by some unseen pony groundskeepers, I see more ponies moving about. These ponies are all blue, which I find a little odd, until I realize they are wearing the suits of the Wonderbolts. They move about the field, talking with others dressed as they are, along with more blue-vested ponies. Looking upwards, I see a few more blue-suited ponies flying about, moving clouds out of the arena or destroying them and practicing various stunts.

"Let's sit up there," Dash says, causing me to turn to her, then to where she points a hoof at. She has chosen a spot aligned close to the center of the field, where the fifty-yard-line would be, near the low center of the stands, giving us an open view of the field but still remaining close to it. I nod and smile in agreement and begin following her up some stairs until we reach our row, then follow her across the long bench until she sits down. I sit down beside her, positioning myself on the bench. I glance over to her and smile, receiving a wide grin in return, before turning back to the stadium.

More and more ponies continue filling the stands. The Wonderbolts begin to practice and warm up, stretching their wings and flying around, conversing with each other in the air. We wait for around half an hour; by the time we have, the stands are nearly completely filled with ponies from all over Equestria, chattering with excitement and anticipation. A look at the sun shows it to appear directly overhead. I feel a rapid tapping on my left foreleg, which props me up as I sit on the bench. I look over to see Rainbow Dash smacking me repeatedly, a look of excitement on her face.

"Oh my gosh, I think they're starting!"

***

The airshow is spectacular. I remain in awe at the perfect coordination of the Wonderbolts, who flew with flawless precision, speed, and agility. The mass of stunts is breathtaking, all of them daring in nature; there are dives that recover only inches off the ground, mid-air passes only hairs away from resulting in collision, intertwining loops and spirals that make my head spin, and numerous indescribable others. One of the tricks even involves two of the Wonderbolts, pressed together belly-to-belly, flying through numerous rings just big enough for the couple...while the rings are burning. "Cool", "awesome", and "radical" can't even describe many of the tricks, as both Rainbow Dash and I soon find. By the time we are trotting out of the stadium, somewhere around three hours later, Rainbow is sounding a little hoarse (pun possibly intended) and my throat is feeling somewhat sore from cheering.

We pass through one of the exits, two more ponies among the flood of others leaving the stadium. Dash seems to be overflowing with giddiness, and I'm tempted to ask her to stop smiling for a moment so she doesn't get lockjaw. My own cheeks are hurting from smiling, but I can't seem to stop, either.

"Remember when Spitfire and Soarin' did that thing where they hit their wings together mid-air, then like, threw each other in another direction? That was awesome! And then, when Fleetfoot dove down so close to the ground, I was like, 'oh my gosh, he's going to crash!' But he didn't, and it was awesome! Oh, and when--" she coughs a few times, voice failing. I smile at her, quietly shaking with laughter. We continue trotting away from the stadium, towards a less crowded area. I watch the light blue mare as she remains silent for a while, trying to give her voice a break. She notices me looking at her, an shows a bashful smile in return.

I break the silence, asking, "Ready to head home?" My own voice cracks and pops, much as how Dash's normally does. She nods in reply, still quiet and looking a little pink with embarrassment. We take off, leaving the ponies trotting away from the stadium. She and I fly over the stretches of fancy buildings; looking down, I see a few ponies native to Canterlot looking up at us with surprised, almost offended looks. I smile, hoping their jimmies are rustled, and continue to soar through the air beside my cyan blue, rainbow-maned companion. My wings are enjoying the flight, being that the only action they have seen in the past few hours is spreading unintentionally when I would get excited at the Wonderbolts' awe-inspiring stunts.

Rainbow Dash remains silent for some time, and it's getting to be a bit uncanny. She'll occasionally clear her throat or hum, but doesn't attempt to talk, likely still trying to avoid overworking her vocal cords. Every few minutes of flying, I'll turn my gaze away from the hues of the snow-less ground below, checking to make sure she still flies next to me. The sound of her wings beating is nearly inaudible, and the fact isn't helped by the noise created by the wind blowing into my ears. After around an hour of flying, we are near the forest we first paused at again, and decide to drop down near it. I land a second behind Rainbow, who sits in a meadow speckled with various flowers starting to bloom, just outside the forest. I trot over to one of the fruit-bearing trees on the edge of the small forest, knocking down a few of its fruits with a swift kick. The fruits look like pears, but aren't green or yellow, instead an odd hue of blue; they are edible and tasty, though, as discovered on our first visit here, so I return to Dash with two of them, sitting down to her left on the grass-covered ground. She nods and smiles as a thank-you, hungrily biting into the food. Also hungry, I begin eating my blue-pear-thing quickly. Flying seems to take its toll on energy, especially when done over long periods of time. Maybe that's how Rainbow Dash can eat so much.

After satisfying our hunger, we remain sitting in the field, resting for a while. I see that the sun is approaching a late-afternoon state, and will be setting only an hour or two from now. I continue to look around in the sky; a few clouds lazily drift by, and a flock of birds in a "V" formation pass overhead. I'm distracted from watching the birds as they grow more and more distant when I hear Rainbow clearing her throat beside me again. I turn, watching as she coughs lightly, humming a little to test her voice.

"I--" she begins, interrupted by another cough. "I think my voice is okay now." She can speak, but her voice sounds noticeably scratchier than normal, cracking more often. I smile at her, glad to hear her talking again. "I, uhh...I wanted to say...thanks, Ferrum. For the Wonderbolts show. It was really awesome, and cool, and fun. Thanks," Dash repeats, looking at me and smiling warmly.

"You're welcome," I reply, smiling back and not knowing how else to respond. I hope that she understands what I want to say but can't find the words to, that I enjoyed the experience just as much, if only because I got to see her so happy and excited. Silence falls between us for a few minutes; I eventually think of a question I had been meaning to ask. "Do you still want to join the Wonderbolts someday?"

She looks at me until I finish my question, then turns to look at the ground. Her brow furrows a little, and she frowns in thought. She stares at the grass for a full minute, obviously thinking deeply; I wonder what my question has triggered within her mind. "Well..." she begins, pausing for a few more seconds, still thinking. "I...I don't know." I'm somewhat surprised by the answer. It had seemed to me, up until this point, that joining the Wonderbolts had been her lifelong dream. Why did that change? I frown in question; she sees my reaction and continues.

"I just..." she sighs. "I don't know. I always have, ever since I was a filly and I first saw them, how totally awesome they were. I wanted to be just like them. But..." Rainbow Dash pauses again, trying to find the right words. "I feel like...like I can't. I know I'm good enough to join them, and they know it, too. I can't because..." I see her struggling, and want to help, but something tells me that I should let her think this through on her own. She lets out a distressed sigh, seemingly frustrated at being unable to say what she wants to say. "My friends," she states flatly. "I feel like if I join the Wonderbolts, then it's like I'm...abandoning them. If I join the Wonderbolts, I won't be able to see them as much, or live in Ponyville anymore. And...I can't do that to them." Rainbow turns away from the grass, looking back into my eyes. "I want to join the Wonderbolts, but I feel like I can't leave my friends, leave Ponyville."

I hold her gaze after she finishes; her eyes silently search for understanding or guidance in mine. I carefully choose what I am about to say, inhaling slowly. "I can't help you make that choice, because you are in control of your own future," I begin cautiously, pausing for a moment. Her magenta eyes do not falter, continuing to watch me intently. "I think you should do what you feel is right, what will truly make you happiest." I pause again, letting my statement sink in. "And know that with whatever you decide to do, you will always have people that love and care about you." I wonder for a moment where I had come up with that; I think my mother told me it at some point. It seems like the right thing to say. She blinks, looking downwards; I see her mind churning again. Another minute passes before Dash goes to speak again.

"Thanks." Her voice is soft and solemn, but sounds reassured. I wonder if I have helped her at all, and hope she can make the choice that is right for her. A few more minutes of silence follows, disturbed only by the songs of birds in the forest behind us and of various insects in the large meadow. I look outward, seeing some trees and hills in the distance. A few birds fly above the meadow, chirping happily. The sun feels warm and comfortable on my dark fur, which takes in more of the heat. 

A light impact on my right shoulder makes me jump a little, waking me from my relaxed state. Blinking a few times in surprise, I look over to where I feel something soft against my shoulder, pressing against it. I see the top of Rainbow Dash's head, resting against my shoulder. Her colorful mane feels soft against me, like silk. Her light blue left ear is distorted, pressed into my shoulder; it feels like felt. The side of her head is warm, warmer than even the sunlight that shines brightly upon us. I can feel wisps of hair brushing against my forelegs, straying from her tilted head. She looks ahead, out across the bright meadow. The scent of purified air and hot spices mottle the air I take in. After a few seconds of looking at the top of her head, I turn my head forward as well.

"You know, they've offered to let me join three different times," Dash says, her voice still holding its soft tone. "I refused their offer every time." My eyebrows raise a little at the revelation, and I blink. I look down at her mane again, colorful hair still meshing with my matte black fur and even a little of my own mane, two-toned gray laying against the right side of my neck. After a moment, I rest my head against the top of hers on a sudden impulse. My cheek rests against her silky mane, and I feel the hair on my head and neck pressed up against me, grays now mixing with the many colors of her hair. She doesn't react or pull away, instead nudging her head deeper into the space between my right cheek and shoulder. The right side of the upper part of my body is filled with her warmth, and I take it in, relaxing and looking out into the bright spring afternoon.

***

We land in front of her cloud home by the time the sun is a red half-circle on the horizon. I had sat with her for half an hour before we decided to get home upon seeing the sun's position in the sky. The remaining hour of the flight had gone by in silence, one not created out of a lack of things to say, but a lack of a need for things to say. Upon entering her house, we are greeted by a cheerful hovering tortoise, who also seems hungry. The three of us have a dinner of muffins of varying flavor; Tank only seems to like the bananas in his, not the actual muffin. After cleaning up, we decide to go to sleep, having had a fairly exciting day.

Upon reaching the second floor of Rainbow's house, I trot forward into the living room, placing my sights on my regular couch. I'm about to say my "good night" to Rainbow Dash, turning back and looking towards the stairs, when I notice she is still standing in the entrance to the living room, looking at me. Feeling confused, as I have never seen her do this before, I remain silent, looking back at the cyan pegasus. She wears a look that tells me she is debating whether or not to do something, or that she needs to say something to me.

"Um...Ferrum?" she asks me. I can see her cheeks starting to gain some color, and my confusion only increases.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to...sleep with me?" I feel my eyes widen in surprise, and my brain goes numb.

"...what?" I ask, suddenly feeling distant.

She blushes furiously now, cheeks a bright red color. Her eyes widen as well, but in some panic. "No, I mean...like, sleep, in my bed. Do you want to sleep in my bed, with me?" I sigh in some relief, sure that my brain nearly imploded a second ago. The question still catches me off guard, though; I feel my own face starting to grow hot.

"I...I, uhh..." My train of thought momentarily derails; I shake my head in an attempt to regain my focus. "Are, um...a-are you sure? I'm...uhh...I'm comfortable...here...I don't want to...um...steal your bed or anything..." God, I sound like Fluttershy.

Dash seems just as disoriented as I am. "I don't have any...um...guest beds...and you've been sleeping on the couch...and I thought...uhh...maybe you would want to sleep in, like...an actual bed," she finishes. Her face is almost entirely red now, and she looks straight down at the fluffy white floor.

"I, um...if...if that's alright with...with you..." I manage to get out, throat feeling dry, tight, and still sore. I'm absolutely sure I am blushing uncontrollably as well; this is the most awkward and embarrassed I have ever felt.

"Yeah...I'm...yeah." she says. Rainbow motions with a foreleg towards the stairs, eyes darting between me and the floor. I force my legs to start trotting forwards, albeit somewhat clumsily. She quickly turns and heads up the stairs, me following behind her. As I come out into the third floor, I see the rainbow-maned mare hastily making her bed, fumbling with the covers. I trot over and help her arrange the bed before stepping back. "You okay with taking that side?" she asks, indicating the left side of the bed, beside the bedside table holding the stack of unread novels. I nod a few times in reply, smiling diffidently to her, only maintaining a second of eye contact. I move around to the left side of the bed, watching Rainbow Dash and waiting for her to get into the bed. After a moment, she does, placing herself near the edge of the bed despite the fairly large width of the bed. I do the same, though, lifting the covers and inching to my edge of the bed, back turned to Rainbow's back.

I immediately notice the bed is, somehow, even more comfortable than the couch. The covers are warm and soft, adding to the comfort of the bed. I can even feel heat radiating off of Dash beneath the blankets; in a moment of discomfort, I attempt to move farther away, but find myself about to fall off the bed, so I remain where I am. I can't say I don't enjoy her body heat, quite the opposite in fact, but I continue to feel embarrassed and awkward.

"You're sure?" I ask Rainbow Dash, turning my head to look at her.

"Yeah," she replies, also turning to look back at me. "Um...good night, Ferrum." She smiles quickly, eyes meeting mine for a moment before darting away in embarrassment.

I return the small smile, also pulling my eyes away quickly, feeling my face starting to heat up again. "Good night, Rainbow Dash."

The remaining light from the sunset soon disappears, and the soft, warm bed brings sleep quickly.

	
> Chapter 17
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I feel warm. I mean, really warm. But not uncomfortably so; it's a level of warm providing the most comfort possible without becoming hot. It's not the covers of the bed; they are warm and soft, but only cover my left side. It's not just my left side that is warm, though, it is all of me. A feeling of warmth that reaches my bones, spreading throughout me. I feel something else, too, enveloping a lot of my body. This feeling is one of something soft pressing against me, against my chest and my stomach and part of my side. Whatever is creating this feeling also seems to be generating the heat that I feel throughout me. I think I know what it is, and open my eyes.

I see a fluffy-looking ceiling made of clouds above me. I can tell that the room is well lit by the morning sun. I realize I am lying on my right side, but my head is facing upwards on the pillow it rests atop. I turn my head so I can see out the window, squinting as the intensity of the light in the room increases. I can't see the sun out the window, and guess it is probably later in the morning. I roll my head back to its starting position on the soft pillow. Soft...I remember the warm, soft pressure, my attention brought to its presence again. I decide to see if I guessed its source correctly, and bring my head off the pillow, looking to where the feeling exists on my torso.

A mess of multicolored hair spills across my chest, or what I can see of my chest, being that some of it is covered by blankets. The hair is that of Rainbow Dash, I quickly see. One side of her head rests against my black fur, rising and falling with my chest as I breathe. I can hear her snoring lightly, and I feel small drafts of air brush against me, in time with her breathing. Only her head is above the purple covers of the bed, but I can feel the rest of her body beneath them. Rainbow's chest presses against the lower portion of mine; I can feel the steady pulsing of her relaxed heartbeat, and the pressure on my chest increases when she inhales. Her forelegs are wrapped about me, softly pulling against my sides. My own forelegs are wrapped around her as well, draped against her shoulders and neck. We hug each other closely in the bright morning light.

This is how I have woken up for something like three weeks; coincidentally, it has been around three weeks since Dash first invited me to sleep in her bed, after the Wonderbolts show. It had nearly given me a heart attack the first time I woke up, her and I hugging. I had tried to work my way out from her clutches without waking her, only to fail; she had woken up, also surprised. It created quite the awkward morning at breakfast. She still allowed me to sleep in her bed that night, though. Again we had went to sleep on opposite sides of the bed, both of us as close to the edge as possible. The next morning, I awoke to find us hugging again. This continued the next morning. And the next. And the next. Each morning I would awake a few minutes before Rainbow Dash, and I would find her in my embrace, squeezing me tightly. After continuing to wake up like this for a few days, I finally gave up panicking or trying to escape without waking her. I think she came to expect it as well, because she eventually began waking up without blushing and quickly pulling away as well. By the time a week had passed, we stopped moving to the edge of the bed when lying down to sleep as well, figuring it to be fruitless in preventing us awaking in the forelegs of one another.

Time has seemed to go by fast. It is hard to fathom that I have been waking up with Rainbow pressed against me for almost a full month already. I figure it to be the routine feel of the days; that, and it is a routine I enjoy more than anything in the world. What is the saying, "time flies when you're having fun"? It seems to apply. I feel happy much of the time. I get to wake up and see the pony I love, every morning. During the week, I go to the job I love. Speaking of my job; my collection of knives I make continues to grow, overwhelming more boxes. I am starting to make swords; not a large variety of swords, but mainly swords that are...elegant. Swift. Precise. I have made a full-sized katana, and am working on a smaller version of a katana, on what is called a wakizashi. The blades of Japanese origin are long, thin, and light, designed to be fast and deadly. I had always admired them, not really knowing why.

At one point I contemplated making a firearm. Only a few minutes of thought caused me to push the idea away. Basically, I decided I didn't want to bring them into the world. Maybe I am thinking with too paranoid a mind. And besides, I enjoy making knives, and axes, and other tools, and other things made of metal that are not guns. Since I am happy doing what I have been, and do not want anything to change, I let the idea go.

I would come home after a day of work to Rainbow Dash and Tank, my favorite pony and my favorite tortoise, maybe even favorite pet in general. We would eat dinner while discussing our respective days; excluding Tank, he doesn't talk much. And then we would go to sleep for the night, Tank landing someplace in Dash's room, her and I falling asleep in the bed. The past two weekends have passed by more quickly than the weeks. We slept in each morning; I tried again both weekends to teach her how to cook, and she has made some more progress. She could probably now survive on something other than basic foods and sandwiches if living on her own, a fact I take some pride in. We spend the weekends flying around the countryside, just screwing around, maybe pulling some pranks on a few ponies here and there, visiting with Rainbow's friends, or just relaxing amongst some clouds. It seems like the best possible way to waste time, and doesn't feel like a waste at all to me.

I think it's the weekend now, a Saturday in...the end of March? Something like that. I look down at the top of Rainbow Dash's head again, smiling a little to myself. My left foreleg is laid over her shoulder, resting against her own foreleg, which lays upon my left side underneath the blankets. I begin moving my hoof across the upper part of her cyan blue foreleg, feeling my fur brush against hers as I rub back and forth gently. Her fur feels so soft, and I end up stroking it more than rubbing back and forth against it. I hear her snoring stop, turning into normal breathing, slightly sped up from her resting state. I stop moving my leg, allowing her to wake up.

She lifts her head a short distance off of my chest, but still lies against me. She tilts her head back, looking at me upside-down. She smiles tiredly at me, and I smile back at her. Rainbow pulls her head forward again, dropping it back onto my chest with a light impact. We continue to lay as we were for a minute, waking up. Eventually she begins lifting her forelegs off of me, and I do the same, allowing her to roll out from under the covers. I push the remaining covers off of me, rolling off the bed and onto the cloud floor. I pull the blankets back up to a semi-neat position at the top of the bed with my teeth, and Dash does the same on the other side of the bed. The thunderbolt decal of the blankets is now visible and proportional, save for the occasional ruffle in it. I look over at the pegasus whose rainbow mane appears untidy from lying against my chest, smiling and nodding towards the stairs. She returns the smile, and we begin making our way downstairs.

In the kitchen, we grab some muffins for breakfast. Tank the tortoise appears out of some undisclosed sleeping spot, and I fetch him a carrot to eat. The three of us eat quietly, the only sounds in the air being those of distant birds chirping and of chewing. After we finish, Rainbow Dash and I continue to sit at the table, looking at each other and smiling. At one point, her face changes with a look of thought. She remains quiet for a few more minutes until a look of remembrance replaces her thoughtful look, and she moves her gaze from some nonexistent spot in the distance back to me.

"Oh, I remembered Twilight asked me to come to a picnic with everyone today. Wanna come with me?" She has to know the answer before I say it.

"Sure. Think they'll mind if I tag along?" It's my turn to know what answer I'll receive. I don't even know why the niceties are a part of the conversation, they're completely unnecessary. Because they're niceties, I guess.

"Nah, they won't mind. My friends like you," Rainbow adds, smiling.

"I'm glad," I say, chuckling a little. "I like them, too."

She chuckles as well. After a moment's pause, she shakes her head, sending her mane flying outward. When she stops, her colorful mane looks normal, no bed-head. Then again, her hairstyle kind of is bed-head. Dash turns and looks out a window, searching for the sun. She leans down some to see it, watching the sky for a moment before looking back to me, magenta irises seeming to shrink as her pupils get larger from the change in light.

"It's pretty close to midday already, wanna go ahead and go?" she asks me. I look out the window as well, having to lower my head some to see the sun; it is approaching its peak in the bright blue sky. I pull my gaze back to her eyes, blinking a few times and seeing some purple spots. I nod and smile to her in agreement. We stand from the low-sitting table. Rainbow Dash trots over to where Tank is, checking on him and alerting him of where we are going (along with informing him no other pets will be there to her knowledge; he seems to decide to stay home), then heads out the door, me tailing her. We jump off into the warm spring day, flying away from her cloud house.

***

The picnic is being held a short distance from the outskirts of the town. The area is basically a big field, with only one tree nearby, at which I see five colorful ponies and one small dragon sitting beside. Rainbow and I land near the group, trotting forward to meet them as they stand to do the same. Various hugs are exchanged between her and her friends. Their attention is then turned to me, and I receive a mix of "Hi, Ferrum", "Hey, Ferrum", "Hello, Ferrum", and a plain "Ferrum!" from Pinkie Pie. I return the greetings to their respective givers, smiling happily.

"I brought Ferrum along, cool with you guys?" Dash asks after her six friends have greeted me. A barrage of "Yep", "Certainly", "Of course", and "Okie dokie lokie" meets her in response, as it has every time she has brought me along with her before. She gives a pleased smile, then we all move back to the picnic area under the lone tree. The conversations begin, asking how everyone has been, comments on the season and excellent weather, the usual. My focus fades in and out of the conversation, but I pick up some comments here and there.

"...how are the apple trees coming along, Applejack?" I hear Twilight ask.

"Ah think they're mighty happy now that it ain't winter," she replies, grinning. The various conversations going on fade out again. It's too hard for me to keep up with them all, so I just quietly listen, looking up at the tree or around at the ponies as they talk amongst each other. I see that Spike is doing the same. He's rolling around a rubber ball he has brought with him to pass the time. I watch him toss it about for a few minutes, mildly entertained. I hear my name, and snap out of my trance, turning towards where my name originated from.

"So, Ferrum, how're yah likin' Ponyville, now that yah been here a while?" asks Applejack. It doesn't take me long to think about my answer.

"I'm enjoying it a lot," I say, nodding lightly and smiling to show my sincerity. I glance over to Rainbow Dash, who sits to my left, and smile, a habitual action resulting from seeing her in my head. I am enjoying Ponyville, especially my workplace located there and the ponies living there, but I know the true source of my happiness. After a second my eyes return to Applejack; I see she's been watching me. She smiles, but there is a hint of another look on her orange face...a knowledgeable one? I am unsure as of what to think in regards to that.

"Good," Applejack says simply, continuing to smile oddly at me for another moment before turning away. I notice the rest of the group has stopped talking to listen to our short conversation; Maybe it's because I don't talk much? Maybe because my voice is so noticeable...

Rarity pops in next, saying, "Oh, darling, I must simply have you try on a few looks! Your coat is so...dazzling! And you are the perfect height for a model, you know..."

I smile, chuckling. "I think I'll have to pass on that one, Rarity. I'm not much of one for fashion."

She frowns. "Rainbow Dash has been rubbing off on you, hasn't she?" This invokes some laughter from everyone. After it has died down, the normal conversations resume, starting with Fluttershy asking Rainbow how Tank the tortoise is doing. A few minutes in, I see Spike whisper something to Twilight Sparkle, to which she nods in reply. He stands up, tossing his ball in one hand and walking a short distance away from the group, out into the sunlight. After a moment's thought, I decide to join him, standing and making my way over to him. He sits on the ground, fiddling with the colorful little ball, and looks up when he sees me approaching.

"Oh, hey, Ferrum!" he says, smiling and standing up. I look down at him, smiling back.

"Hey, Spike! How've you been?"

"I've been pretty good, how about you?"

"I've been good as well." I pause for a moment, continuing to smile at him. "Get bored?" He nods, smiling sheepishly. "Yeah, me too," I say, chuckling a little.

"Wanna play some catch?" he asks, holding up the rubber ball in his claws.

"Sure," I reply. He steps back a little ways, then indicates to me he's about to throw the ball. I nod in affirmation, and he tosses the ball. As the ball nears my face, I suddenly think, wait, how am I supposed to catch--? The rubber ball bounces off of my nose, causing me to blink a few times. I look at Spike, who covers his mouth with a small degree of horror.

"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..."

"It's alright, I just...wasn't ready," I reassure him, smiling. He heaves a sigh of relief. I look down at the ball, lying in the grass in front of me. How am I going to do this? I look at my front hooves. Nope. I frown in thought. After a moment of going over my various appendages, I finally begin formulating an idea. I glance back towards my right, looking at the black wing that rests against my side. I spread it out, looking at it, then back at the ball, then back to it. I move my wing to the ball, angling it down to scoop up the small rubber sphere. Balancing the ball on my wing, I turn so that my right side is away from Spike, who watches me with interest. Lining up my shot, I quickly throw my wing upward. The catapult effect sends the small ball flying in a high arc through the air, neatly landing in the small purple dragon's outstretched claws.

"Whoa, that was cool!" says Spike, looking awe-struck. I smile, feeling some awe at my accomplishment as well.

"Thanks," I reply casually. I nod for him to throw the ball again, and he does. Well, if my wing can throw...I stretch out my right wing again, lining myself up with the colorful ball hurtling through the air. My wing acts as desired, like a baseball glove, catching the ball and cradling it. I use my catapult system to fling the ball back again. Spike and I throw the ball back and forth for a while; I wonder at one point if this is how ponies are supposed to play catch, or if I am doing everything wrong. It seems to be working, though, so I continue. We gradually increase the difficulty of our throws, stepping farther away from each other, switching hands/wings, attempting to keep the ball in the air by smacking it back to one another, and so on. It passes the time quite effectively, if I may say so myself.

The ball is halfway through the air, heading towards Spike, when a voice calls out. "Lunchtime!" Twilight yells to us. Spike turns, and the ball bops him against the back of his head. He turns in confusion, then laughs before waving an arm to me and running towards the tree. I follow in a slow trot, arriving under the tree shortly. The six ponies have laid out a red-and-white-checkered picnic blanket, and a basket sits in the middle of it. Applejack and Twilight have been assigned sandwich-making duty, apparently, as they pass out various sandwiches after asking what the other ponies want on them.

"Okay, a plain sandwich for Fluttershy..." Twilight says, pausing as she moves a plate with a hay-and-bread sandwich to Fluttershy, who quietly says a thank-you. "...a rose sandwich for Rarity...a...erm...chocolate-covered sandwich for Pinkie..." Everyone except Pinkie Pie wrinkles their nose in some degree of distaste, including myself; Pinkie grins happily, immediately biting into the brown sandwich. "...a sandwich with everything for Rainbow Dash...an apple sandwich for Applejack...a gem sandwich for Spike...Ferrum, what would you like on your sandwich?" Twilight Sparkle asks.

"Everything, please." I still have no clue as to what half of the flowers I eat are, but I know they all seem to be tasty. I watch as Applejack makes a sandwich composed of two pieces of bread, some hay, and an assortment of flowers. She passes it to Twilight, who passes it to me. I take it with a nod and a "Thanks."

"An everything sandwich for Ferrum, and finally, a lavender sandwich for me! Everyone have their sandwich?" She receives seven nods in reply. "Good! This picnic is going accordingly!" The air around everyone is relatively silent for a while as we eat, the only sounds those of birds and insects in the tree above us and the faint bustle of Ponyville in the distance. After some time has passed, the sounds of crunching and munching stop, and Fluttershy thanks Twilight for the food. The rest of us follow suit in a chorus of thank-you's. Conversation continues amongst the mares, and Spike and I leave again to continue our game of catch.

We play for another hour, then Spike informs me his arms are feeling tired, so we return to the group of ponies. I sit down next to Rainbow Dash, who is talking with Twilight. I watch as Spike joins into their conversation, then turn away, glancing around at the scenery. Ponyville's outskirts sit peacefully in the spring afternoon, and I watch as a few ponies trot about outside the houses marking the edge of the town. The environment looks nice, everything fully grown. I spot a few deer in the distance, eating some of the grasses in the field we sit in. My pleasant observations are interrupted when I feel a light tap on my right shoulder. I look over and see Applejack standing there, and give her a questioning look.

"Mind if Ah talk to yah for a minute, in private?" she asks. I feel confused, but nod my head in agreement anyways. I glance towards the rest of the group, seeing what they are doing. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle continue to converse. Fluttershy and Rarity are speaking quietly, I think about hairstyles, as they are indicating on the heads of one another. Spike and Pinkie Pie are laughing as Pinkie balances the ball on her nose and acts like a seal, barking. I smile and stand up, turning to Applejack. She nods towards an area a short distance away, deeper into the field.

The deer dart away into a nearby forest as we get closer to them and further from the tree. Applejack looks around, apparently deciding the spot is solitary enough. I stand in confusion, watching her and waiting for some sort of explanation. She glances back to our friends, smiling a little and turning back to me.

"Ah know yah got yer eye on Rainbow Dash." What a way to start a conversation. My breath catches in my throat before I force myself to relax. I still can't stop myself from blinking at the surprise caused by this sudden revelation. It's no big deal, just calm down. She must see my slight panic, for she continues on, drawling, "It's alright, Ah don't think anypony else knows. Ah'm good at seein' things other ponies might not." I internally sigh a little in relief, nodding on the exterior to show understanding. She glances back towards the tree, watching the ponies for a moment before facing me again.

"Ah just want to say a few things. Rainbow's a good mare. She's the Element of Loyalty, if yah didn't know, and fer good reason. She deserves the best, y'hear?" Applejack pauses for a moment. "Now, yah seem like a good stallion. Yah seem like somepony who can be there for her, and that's what she needs." She looks towards the tree again, alone in the field, then moves her head a little closer to mine. "She ain't never had anypony before, and ah'm sure she's mighty lonely. I ain't never seen her this happy all the time." She stops again, letting her words sink in. "Yah treat her good, alright?" she asks, looking sternly at me. I know the consequences will be harsh if I don't.

"I will," I reply. Applejack takes a step back; she eyes me critically for a moment, then she appears satisfied.

"Good," she says. She nods towards the picnic spot, and I follow her back to it. We sit down, and I try to act as if nothing was said.

Noticing us returning, Rarity inquires, "Is something wrong?" She looks a little worried. I see Applejack out of the corner of my vision; I can tell she'll be unable to tell a decent lie.

"No," I reply with a reassuring smile. "Applejack was just asking me if I had tried some Apple family cider, which I haven't. It sounds like I need to."

"Oh, absolutely yes! They make some the finest cider in all of Equestria, without a doubt," Rarity says. I see Applejack flash a quick smile and nod her head to me, to which I lightly nod back. Rarity and Applejack then begin discussing cider and other drinks, and I return to listening quietly and observing the day. It seems to be getting somewhat late, and the sun will be setting soon.

I listen to Twilight and Rainbow's conversation about flying for around another hour. It seems Twilight is wanting to write some sort of essay on the various tricks Dash can do that are specific to her, especially on the Sonic Rainboom. She describes the stunt as a "fascinating anomaly". Rainbow Dash doesn't seem to be too happy that Twilight is turning her coolness into technicality, but answers her questions eagerly. When they finish, the purple unicorn glances into the sky, checking the time.

"Wow, it's getting late. Spike, we had better go," she says, turning to the baby dragon. He obliges without complaint and stands up, stretching. Twilight uses her magic to fold the picnic blanket and pick up the empty plates, storing them all in the picnic basket. "Well, this was really nice, everypony," she states, smiling at us all. Murmurs of agreement and goodbyes reply to her in chorus. "Goodbye!" she says, trotting off towards Ponyville with Spike on her back.

Fluttershy is the next to stand. "I had better go check on Angel. Bye, everypony," she says quietly, giving a small smile. The five of us remaining say our goodbyes as she trots off towards her house, which I can see in the distance.

Rarity stands up as well, followed by Pinkie Pie. "I had best go as well. I simply must get my beauty sleep!" says Rarity.

"And I've got some cakes to make for tomorrow!" Pinkie exclaims. The two begin heading off towards Ponyville, followed by me, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack's goodbyes. Once they become small in the distance, the three of us stand up. Applejack stands across from Rainbow and I, smiling and looking from one of us to the other.

"Ah suppose Ah oughta' get home, check on the apple trees. Ah'll see ya'll later," says Applejack. She gives a light nod to me, still smiling. I nod back, smiling as well, hoping she knows I won't let her down. The orange earth pony turns and trots off towards the farm, which I can see atop its hill overlooking Ponyville a good distance away. I turn to Rainbow Dash, smiling.

"Wanna go home?" she asks, smiling back. I think for a moment, then am suddenly overtaken by an idea. I pause for a few more seconds, thinking out a new plan, then grin to the cyan blue pegasus.

"Sure...but, uh, how tired are you?"
> Chapter 18
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	Dash thinks for a moment, probably a little confused. "Not very, I guess. I've been sleeping pretty good recently. Why'd you ask?"

"Feel like staying up late? I have something in mind," I reply, still going about my idea in my head.

She thinks for a few more seconds, glancing upward. "Yeah, okay. Whaddya wanna do?"

I continue to grin, and say, "I don't think I'm going to tell you."

"Aww, what? No way, tell me!"

"Nope."

"Tell me!

"Uh-uh."

This continues as we jump into the air, flying towards Rainbow's home. After a couple of minutes, we push into her kitchen.

"Argh, why won't you tell me?!"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because because."

She growls in feigned anger at me, receiving a grin from me in return. I begin trotting towards the stairs.

"I'm going to grab some bits, do what you need to do and we'll go, okay?" She smiles in reply, nodding and following me up the stairs. I go into the living room, and hear light hoofsteps continuing up the stairs behind me. I trot over to one side of the couch that had previously served as my bed; it continues to serve as a storage area for my money. I frown upon seeing a pile of coin bags that stacks up the side of the couch. I lean down, grabbing one of the jingly cloth bags in my teeth and setting it on the coffee table, then repeat the action, placing a total of two bags, twenty bits, on the small table. My eyebrows scrunch together as I stare at the money. How am I going to store this...? Maybe Rainbow can hold them for me. Hope she doesn't mind...I pick up the two small coin bags in my teeth, then trot towards the stairs, heading back down into the kitchen.

Rainbow Dash trots into the kitchen a minute later. I notice something different about her; she seems to have brushed out her mane. It holds a nice combination of her usual tomboy look with a nicer, softer look. Her mane isn't done up in a style of any sort, but the usual tufts of hair that stick up in it are gone, making all six streaks of color fit perfectly with one another on her head. I smile as she makes her way farther into the kitchen towards me.

"You look nice," I compliment, smiling warmly to her. Some pink makes its way to her cheeks.

"Um...thanks," she says, pawing at the cloud floor a little and glancing down. "I figured you wanted to go somewhere, but I didn't know if I needed to look fancy or anything..."

"No, you don't need to look fancy. I think you look perfect for where we're going."

"And we're going...?"

"Nice try," I reply, chuckling.

"Rats." I'm pretty sure if ponies had fingers, she would snap hers right now. But ponies don't have fingers, so all she does is swing her foreleg to one side.

"Think you could hold on to those for me?" I ask, moving a hoof towards the two bags of coins, which I had laid on the kitchen table earlier. She nods, scooping them both up in her mouth. I watch as she turns to one side, hiding the coins from my view, then turns back to me, without any coins. I had seen her do this a few times before, along with seeing other ponies do so. I have absolutely no idea how the system of hiding something from sight and magically storing it away works, and drop the idea of it quickly to avoid confusing myself too badly by thinking about it. I smile to her and she nods again, smiling as well, and we trot out her front door.

Contrary to the usual, I lead our two-pony convoy tonight. The sun has almost completely disappeared from the sky, and the moon's light is beginning to take over. I take us down over Ponyville; the small town is lit by many lanterns and torches, giving a soft glow to the entire area. I scan my eyes over the village, searching for...right there. My sight has landed upon a brick building, the one that has caught my eye ever since seeing it when I came to Ponyville for the first time. It sticks out amidst wood and stone buildings of a much less modern design. I have a hunch as to what this building holds; tonight, I will find out what it is. I motion for Rainbow to follow me, and angle towards the building.

We land in an alleyway partly created by the warehouse-like building. I think to myself that it probably was a warehouse at some point. As I trot along the side of the brick structure, I can hear a light pounding coming from it; my hypothesis is beginning to lead towards being correct. As we round one side of the building, I turn to my side, looking at Dash.

"What kind of music do you like?" I ask her.

She seems caught a little off-guard by the question, but thinks for a moment before answering. "I dunno. I like stuff that sounds cool, stuff I can dance to."

I smile, replying, "I think you'll like this, then." We round another corner, and I spot what I'm looking for; an entrance. Outside of the lightly pounding building's door, I see a gruff-looking pony. A short line of ponies stands in front of him; he speaks with them momentarily, then allows them to enter the building. I take a spot at the back of the line, watching as Rainbow Dash falls in beside me, looking a little puzzled. I look back to the entrance of the building; there is a sign above it.

Club Pon-3, it reads. A pair of music notes decorate a side of the sign. I smile to myself, feeling pleased with the correctness of my guess as to the purpose of this building. The pony two spots ahead in the line steps into the nightclub. I turn to Dash.

"Could you get one of those out?" I ask Dash, nodding to the area somewhere around her back where the coins magically disappeared to. She nods, turning to that same spot and returning with a bag of coins in her jaws. I carefully lean in towards her face, tilting my head to grasp the cloth bag. I pull away from her with the bits, nodding and smiling with them in my mouth as a thank-you. The pony ahead of us goes through the door and into the brick building, and we step forward.

"You two together?" the tough pony guarding the door asks me. I glance over at Rainbow, who nods and smiles to me in reply. I nod once back to the door guard. "Five bits for couples," he states flatly. I lean down, setting the bag of coins in my teeth on the ground in front of his hooves. He paws open the bag, rapidly counting the coins. I see the pony about to start separating change, but cut him off.

"Keep it," I say, motioning towards the bag of bits with a hoof. I think he smiles a little, I can't really tell. 

"Go on in," he says, nodding to the door. I turn back to look at my rainbow-maned companion, smiling when I see her doing the same. I push through the door, holding it open for Rainbow Dash. After she trots inside, I allow the door to swing closed, submerging us in a low level of light. We are in some sort of hallway, lit by a pair of lanterns. I see washrooms on either side of the hallway, along with corners leading to another location at each end of the corridor. I trot towards one, looking around the side. Figuring it to be the right way, I indicate for Dash to follow.

As we trot down the somewhat dark hallway branching off of the first, I can hear the pounding I heard outside growing louder. The steady bass is soon joined by various hums and other noises, which I am starting to feel through my hooves. Eventually, we round another corner, and I find myself gazing out into a large room, which must compose most of the warehouse.

The room is both dark and not. Shadows are everywhere, but disappear on and off quickly as flashing strobe lights and various laser lights glance over the areas where they lay. It's not quite to the point of inducing seizures, but it's close; and I don't even have epilepsy. The flashing lights are coupled with loud, yet clear, music. The bass drum throbs heavily, hitting my ear drums at a rate of around one-hundred-and-twenty beats per minute. A low bass line couples with the beat. Various synthesized trebles overlay it all, in total creating a song. An electro song; an electro-house song, to be precise. In fact, I recognize it well. It is the music of the one and only deadmau5; I even recognize the song as being A City in Florida, my most favorite of his songs. But how is that even possible?

I look around, attempting to search for something to explain what I hear, I suppose. I notice the walls are covered in various pieces of triangle-shaped materials, which I know are placed to absorb and deflect sound. I see a multitude of dancing ponies covering a dance floor that is lit up with strobes and lasers. There appears to be some sort of bar on one side of the room, at which a few more ponies are seated at, upon stools. And finally, at the center back of the large room, there is a lone pony, standing behind a set of turntables built into a slightly raised platform. The pony is a mare, a unicorn, with a white-looking coat and a wild mane bearing a few shades of blue. She wears a pair of glasses with lens tinted a shade of hue of purple. She grins, nodding her head to the beat of the bass. I notice that she is using her magic to manipulate the turntables, as her horn and the tables glow with a light blue aura, hardly visible in the dark, flashing room.

I recognize the pony as DJ Pon-3, also known as Vinyl Scratch by the fanbase of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Though recognition brings a smile to me, I still can't explain how she has retrieved, or maybe re-made, deadmau5's music. I stand confused for a moment, watching the pony work on the other side of the room. I decide I can find no possible way to explain it, and shake my head, returning my focus back to my environment. I remember the pony I have brought here, and turn around to face her.

Rainbow is glancing around, taking in the mass of color and flashing light. I can see her head bobbing up and down to the beat of the song. I smile, pleased she seems to be enjoying the music. I had wondered if she would like the genre, being its odd, almost robotic style of sound.

"Like the music?" I half-ask, half-shout over the volume of the song. Her eyes stop looking around and look at me upon hearing my question.

"Yeah, it sounds awesome!" she says cheerfully. I smile wider, agreeing with her silently. I listen to the song for a moment more, feeling the change in the vibrations running through my bones as the music changes, bass and treble increasing and decreasing in tone, pauses in the drum line, all forming the song I not only hear, but feel. I have never experienced a nightclub before, not even a concert, so this feeling is a new one, the feeling of the song reverberating throughout my entire body; it's...intoxicating.

I focus on Rainbow Dash again. "Well, want to dance?" I ask loudly, nodding towards the dance floor.

"I'm...I'm not that great at dancing..." she replies, glancing down in embarrassment. Her statement is quiet enough so that I almost don't hear it. I don't want her to repeat it, in case she is embarrassed, so I quietly hope I heard her right.

"That makes two of us," I say, smiling to her. She looks back up at me, smiling and looking into my eyes. After a moment, she nods and grins, mouthing the word "okay". Maybe she says "okay", I can't really tell. I trot with her on to the dance floor, finding a semi-open spot for us to dance. Her head continues to nod along with the beat, and I notice mine has been unconsciously doing so as well. I watch her for a few seconds; she stands there, smooth, multicolored mane bouncing a little as she nods up and down. I draw her attention to me, watching as she looks up at me. I begin bringing my right hoof up and down, lightly tapping the ground with the bass. She stares at my hoof intently, and I smile at her.

"Just go with it!" I tell Rainbow. She moves her gaze to her own right foreleg, then begins tapping it against the ground as well. She does so for a few seconds, smiling at her accomplishment. Then, she looks over at her other foreleg, and back to the one tapping along. She begins alternating her hooves on the ground, tapping one after the other to the beat. I smile as well, and start to mimic her actions. Dash looks back up at me, grinning. I watch as she starts moving her head around in a swaying motion, one that continues to match the beat of the loud bass. I grin back to her, watching her dance along to the song and dancing with her.

We continue to dance throughout the rest of the song, eyes locked on each other and grinning happily. The song progresses into the next, another I recognize from another artist I enjoyed listening to. The music feels amazing, almost like it's coursing through my veins. Rainbow Dash seems to be enjoying it just as much, dancing her heart out as she stares into my eyes. Her magenta eyes sparkle with merriment. The second song goes into the third, but by the time the third song (yet another I recognize and listened to often on Earth; it seems like DJ Pon-3 hit "shuffle" on my old iPod) is a few minutes in, I see Dash beginning to get worn out. I am feeling physically tired as well, and though I have no desire to stop dancing, I feel like I ought to or else I'll die of exhaustion.

"Want to take a break?" I ask Rainbow, smiling.

"Yeah," she replies, panting a little. We make our way through the sea of dancing ponies, arriving at the bar I had spotted earlier. We sit down atop a pair of empty stools, joined by a couple of other ponies. Dash and I wait patiently until a bartender trots over, smiling at us.

"Can I get you two anything?" he asks over the music. I look at Rainbow Dash, who seems to be thinking. A look of realization mixed with giddiness crosses her face after a few seconds.

"Do you have any cider?" she asks the bartender. I smile, thinking about Rainbow's intense love of cider.

"Yes, authentic Apple family cider, in fact. It's very fresh, only came in a few days ago." Dash glances over at me, looking overjoyed. I smile at her, chuckling to myself.

"We'll take two mugs of it, please," I tell the bartender. He smiles and nods, trotting off to get the drinks. He returns a moment later, depositing two wood-and-metal mugs filled with foamy cider on the bar in front of us.

"That'll be two bits," he states. Rainbow Dash almost flings the two coins at him, then scoops up her mug, looking at it like it's the Holy Grail. She downs the mug without coming up for air, licking the foam off her lips and giving a satisfied sigh. I watch, amused, before picking up my own mug of cider. I look at it for a moment, then take a drink, letting the liquid glide around my mouth before swallowing it. The cider obviously tastes of apples, and is a nice, sweet taste. The texture of it is very smooth, and I can tell it is well-made. After a short pause, I take another drink, savoring its flavor again. Then, I finish off the drink, wiping off the foam one my face that I can't reach with my tongue.

"Do you like it?" asks Rainbow, who has been watching me try the cider.

"It's really good, I can see why you like it," I reply, smiling. "Do you want another?"

"Yeah!" she replies enthusiastically. I nod to her and continue smiling, giving her the go-ahead to buy herself another round. "Do you want one, too?" she asks me as the bartender approaches again.

"Nah, I'm good." I do enjoy the cider, but am not one much for alcohol. I could never really get around the taste, and I had seen enough hangovers to know they sucked. I watch as Dash orders another mug of cider. She gulps this one down with the speed of the first. The cyan mare looks back to me, smiling a little hopefully.

"Just...one more?" she asks, and I nod, chuckling. The bartender looks a little worried as he brings back her third mug of cider. Rainbow Dash chugs this mug as well; I wonder if she has a separate area designed to hold cider. She removes the foam from her face, then looks at me cheerfully. "Come on, let's dance!" she exclaims, hopping off the stool and pulling me with her hoof back onto the dance floor. I continue to shake quietly with laughter at her antics, but get back into the groove of the music as well. A small voice in my head informs me that the current song is Some Chords, another by deadmau5.

We quickly regain our rhythm with renewed energy, dancing and grinning at each other. Her dancing is a little more wild, her mane and tail flinging about wildly as she loses herself in the music. I do the same, closing my eyes and absorbing the beat. I can see color behind my eyelids, glancing off their outsides and creating a light show within my head. The music is relaxing yet energizing, and I love every second of it. The seconds seem to pass quickly, though, and the song traverses into the next, and the next.

I think around four songs have come and gone before I re-open my eyes. I blink a few times to adjust to the poorly-lit, flashing environment. Rainbow continues to dance in front of me, and ponies continue to party all around us. I notice that her movements seem to have more sway to them, as if she's getting off balance. Suddenly she stumbles forward, tripping on her own legs. I quickly dart down, catching her against my shoulder. I feel the light blue mare continue to sway against my shoulder.

"Whoa, why's the floor moving?" Dash asks no one in particular. Being that the floor is not moving, save for from the vibration created by the bass drum, I get the feeling the alcohol is kicking in in her system; I note her voice also sounds slightly slurred. She steps backwards, off my shoulder, trying to right herself again. She stands for a moment, continuing to nod her head slightly off of the beat, swaying a little on her legs. Rainbow begins leaning too far in one direction again, and I put out my right foreleg beside her to prevent her from falling. She leans against my leg, then rebounds in the other direction, balancing for another moment. I can't help but smile while watching her move about in a drunken state. I wonder for a moment how she could possibly wasted on cider, then remember the fact she is a female and her small, light frame don't help counter the effects of alcohol very well.

"I think it's time to go," I tell her just loud enough for her to hear. She nods in reply, probably too disoriented to even comprehend what I just said. I bring up my left foreleg and wrap it over her shoulders, then begin pulling her through the crowd. It's fairly challenging, actually, considering that I am walking on three legs, Rainbow Dash is half-incapacitated, and there are ponies everywhere, serving as excellent obstacles. Eventually we push out off of the dance floor, and I lead her towards the hallway leading to the exit. I glance back into the flashing room, smiling at the environment, then head on through the passage with Rainbow at my side. I push open the door leading outside with my head; I smile at the door guard, who returns a sympathetic-looking smile in return.

"That..." Dash starts, hiccuping. "...was fun..."

"Yes it was," I reply softly, smiling at her. I look away from her, looking around. The night sky is clear and bright, lit by a bright half-moon and the stars, all of which I can see. The air is cool and refreshing. A few lanterns glow dimly on streets nearby. I squint into the sky, searching for the home of the drunken pegasus beside me. I spot the small-looking cloud high up, hovering near Ponyville. I frown, wondering if Rainbow Dash will be able to fly. "Think you can fly?" I ask her, stating my thoughts.

She turns and looks up at me, grinning. Her magenta eyes are half-lidded, and look unfocused. She sways back and forth, stumbling a little every so often. "Well...duh! I'm, like..." Another hiccup. "...the best flier...in all of Equestria!" I eye her suspiciously, not doubting her statement but not believing she is fit to fly. What else can I do, though? I look up into the sky again. There are no clouds in sight, else I would just find one nearby for us to sleep on. I don't know where any inns are, if any exist in Ponyville. My frown deepens as I watch the uncoordinated pony wobble around. I take a deep breath, then jump into the air, hovering above Rainbow and waiting for her to follow me. She looks up, then shakily jumps up, flapping her wings. She manages to keep herself aloft so far, so I steadily begin flying upward, angled towards her home. I keep my eyes on her the entire time, watching her trail slightly behind me.

About halfway between her house and the ground, I see Dash starting to tilt in various directions, like an airplane with a broken rudder. I slow my already sluggish pace, watching her closely and moving closer to her in the air. As I move towards her, I see her wing flaps becoming uncoordinated, the right and left wings not beating in synchronization. She begins losing altitude, then starts to free-fall. Shit!

I tilt myself downwards, quickly pressing my wings into my sides. I begin a dive in the air, forelegs outstretched, vision focused solely on the quickly plummeting rainbow-maned pegasus. She tumbles wildly, seemingly unable to right herself. I think she's screaming...no, wait...she's...laughing? Rainbow Dash laughs cries out with glee as she falls, seemingly enjoying the experience. I try to force myself down faster in the air; I can see the ground approaching rapidly, and feel some panic.

I finally dive just below her, getting where I want to. I move my forelegs under her back, pulling her into me. I flare my wings outward, feeling a huge pull on them from the rapid stop. I pump them hard, making sure we're going to stay in the air. I glance downward, seeing the ground only twenty feet below me. Too close. I heave a sigh of relief, then look back at the pony I carry in my forelegs. Rainbow lays atop them, her four legs above her; I can feel one of her wings pressing into my chest, stiff with excitement. She continues to giggle absent-mindedly, acting as if she didn't just free-fall for a few hundred feet. I sigh in some exasperation, then begin flapping my wings and slowly lifting the two of us upward.

Good thing she doesn't weigh much. Dash feels light and warm in my forelegs. She fidgets some, twisting so that she rests on her side as I carry her. She wraps her cyan forelegs around my neck, hugging loosely and placing her head on my shoulder, still facing me. I feel her press her face into my neck, then inhale.

"You smell good," she comments. This evokes a snort of laughter from me. Another minute of flying upwards at a slow rate passes before she speaks again. "I want some more cider...do we have any cider?"

"No, I don't think so." You don't need any more, anyways. She lets out an exaggerated groan of despair, pressing her face into my neck again. I chuckle, and continuing flying us up. I see that we are nearing her house now, and flap my wings a little harder. I lift us over and onto the cloud holding and making up her three-story tower home. I set Rainbow Dash down as gently as I can on the surface of the cloud, placing her upright to save her the trouble of standing up. I settle down beside her; I feel the light impact of her head as she rests it on my shoulder. I guide her to and into her house. It is dark inside, and I nearly bump a leg on the little cloud table in the kitchen. Coming upon the stairs, I frown, wondering how hard climbing stairs will be with a drunk pony leaning on me.

It turns out, not that hard. We climb the stairs slowly; she stumbles on every other step, making our pace slow enough that Tank could probably ascend the stairs faster. On the way up, a stream of words flows from Dash's mouth, most coming out half distorted.

"Y'know...you're awesome...kinda lame...but, I like it...smell really good, too..." I'm quietly shaking with controlled laughter as we approach the top floor, entering her room. I leave her side, going over to one side of the bed and pulling back the covers with my teeth. I move back over to her, then guide her into the open bed, pulling the covers over her as she continues mumbling unintelligibly. I trot around to the other side of the bed, sliding underneath the blankets next to the intoxicated mare. When I am fully into the bed, Rainbow turns over to face me.

She clumsily wraps her legs around me, pressing her head into my chest. I feel my face contort in some surprise as she hugs me tightly. Her warmth instantly starts flowing throughout me, and I feel relaxed. I smile, looking down at the top of her multicolored mane.

"Good night, Rainbow Dash," I say quietly.

The rainbow-maned pegasus looks up at me, eyes half-lidded, a weary smile on her face. I can smell a mixture of alcohol, apples, and the familiar spicy smell on her breath when she speaks. "G'night, Ferrum."

I wrap my forelegs over her, hugging her close to me. I close my eyes, feeling tired, warm, and happy.
> Chapter 19
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I think it's been about a month since I went to the nightclub with Rainbow Dash. What is it, now, the end of April? Something like that. It's getting harder for me to remember the time of year. I stopped trying to remember the exact day a few weeks ago. The days seem to pass so quickly, making it hard for me to continue keeping track of them; a lack of calendars in Rainbow's house and my workplace doesn't help. My rainbow-maned companion and I continue our usual routines throughout the weekdays and weekends.

At my job working as one of two blacksmiths in Ponyville, my work continues to demonstrate better and better craftsmanship. My boxes full of knives are added to at a slower rate, now that I am working on various swords and other weapons; I am constantly touching up the smaller blades I have made, though, making it so that they are on the same level as the rest of my newer work. My workbench now has a few larger weapons resting on it, though, including my katana, a pair of identical wakizashis, and a few swords of my own design, some practical, some detailed and intended for show. At one point, Forge noticed my works, and asked if I wanted to take over all of the weapon-related orders that came into the shop; though it is not a large task, I happily obliged. And so, I have now made weapons varying from axes, to hammers, to scythes, for the customers of the shop. Some of the orders Forge delivers to me are really more tools than weapons, but I don't mind a bit.

Dash and I haven't stopped waking up hugging each other; again, I don't mind a bit. I've gotten used to her warm presence in the mornings, even at night. She hasn't went to bed hugging me, as she did when she got drunk on the night when we went clubbing (she woke up with a pretty bad hangover, by the way. She promised she'd never drink cider again; I wonder how many times she has promised herself that). Still, I swear she moves a little closer to me each night when we get into bed. In the mornings, whether they be the early mornings of weekdays or the late mornings of weekends, we get up and have breakfast together before going to our respective jobs (or not, if it is the weekend). On the weekends, I usually pick one of the two mornings to attempt to teach Rainbow Dash to cook. I have been trying to get her to learn how to make oatmeal; currently, she is able to make either oat soup or an oat brick, neither of which are very tasty. I always remind her to consider it practice, because I know she knows how valuable practice is, being the athlete she is.

The weekends have been flying by, literally. Dash and I spend entire days flying, almost nonstop. I have seen a lot of the countryside around Ponyville, along with a mountain range near the town, a dragon's nest high up in a mountain (I even got to take a look at the dragon roosting there; from a distance, of course), and plenty more postcard-worthy sights. The freedom and happiness I feel when I fly with her is indescribable. I would be perfectly fine with spending every waking moment flying through the air with Rainbow.

In fact, I'm anticipating flying today. I know that it is Saturday, because yesterday I had to work; a whole day of flying, and then another to boot. I smile at the thought of it. My focus moves away from my thoughts, directing itself towards my environment.

My eyes are open, and have been for around a minute for two. I'm looking at the mane of many colors of Rainbow Dash, laying upon my chest. As usual, I can only see her head above the covers, pressed into my sternum, but I can feel her chest rubbing against my stomach as she quietly snores and her forelegs pressed into my sides and back. The brightness of the room, partially helped by the fact most of the room is cloud white, shows that it's close to midday. I use my hoof that is draped atop Rainbow's shoulder to pet her foreleg softly, waking her up as I usually do.

Still watching the top of her head, I listen as she begins to awaken. Her snoring stops, replaced by slow, deep breathing. She stirs a little, stretching her legs some and moving her head a fraction of an inch on my chest. I continue rubbing her velvety foreleg until she tilts her head upwards, looking at me. She smiles, looking happy and a little tired.

"Morning," she greets, scratchy voice sounding loud in the quiet room, though she has spoken softly.

"Good morning," I reply, my own voice unintentionally a little louder than hers; I notice Tank, who rests within his shell in a corner of the room, emerge from his shell and begin moving about. I smile at the little tortoise pilot, then return my eyes to Dash, smiling to her. She closes her eyes and leans against my matte black chest for a few seconds, then begins pulling away from me. I release my hold on her, allowing her to exit the bed, me doing the same on the other side. We re-make the bed, tugging on the covers simultaneously. After doing so, we look at each other for a moment, smiling and gazing into the eyes of one another. Tank hovers into our vision, breaking the stare; this evokes a laugh from us both, and all three of us make our way down to the kitchen for some breakfast.

Our morning meal consists of carrots, passing with only the crunch of the orange roots being chewed. Rainbow Dash finishes her carrot a few seconds after I do; Tank is only about a fourth of the way through his breakfast.

"Ready to go?" Dash asks me, sitting on the floor across the table from me. I smile happily and nod, suddenly feeling more awake. She stands up from the table, and I do the same, watching as she turns to the tortoise eating his carrot on the counter top behind her. "We'll be back later, okay?" The slow reptile blinks and begins to tilt his head forward in response. She always tries to let Tank know that we'll be gone before we leave, and has always mentioned her discomfort in not informing him we have left if she does not. I smile inwardly as I watch her. Rainbow then turns back to me, jerking her head to the door and smiling. I trot out the door, trailing her by a few feet.

It seems like it will be a good day for flight. There isn't any wind, and the temperature is just right, not blazing hot nor chilly. There aren't any clouds in the sky, and not because pegasi have cleared them away. I can feel the smile on my face turning into a grin. Rainbow Dash turns around, facing me. She wears a grin of her own. We stare at each other for a moment, then simultaneously spring into the air.

The cyan blue mare takes the lead, a short distance ahead of me in the air. She usually leads on our weekend flights, since I have no idea where anything is in Equestria, save for what we live near. We fly in a relatively straight path for some time, pulling away from Rainbow's house in the sky. I do a few barrel rolls every so often, just for the hell of it. She must notice me doing so, for she begins doing some simple tricks as well, a loop here and there, a pass over or under me. Soon we're locked in a stunt competition of sorts, flying around each other and twirling about in as many ways as we can think of.

After five more minutes of flying pass, I'm feeling quite dizzy, and decide to forfeit, leveling back out and shaking my head to get myself coordinated again. Dash stops as well, a look of playful pride on her face, and we resume normal flight. By the time I'm seeing straight, the rainbow-maned pegasus ahead of me has stopped, hovering in the air. I notice this portion of the sky has a few fluffy white clouds spread around it. Rainbow Dash seems to think the spot will serve nicely for the day, and turns to face me. She raises her eyebrows while gesturing to the area, silently asking if it looks okay. I nod and smile wide in reply, receiving a smile from her in return. And then, we begin to fly.

Rainbow and I soar across the sky, generally remaining close to one another. I watch her do a series of tricks, then attempt to mimic them, usually failing to the humor of us both. She shows me a few new stunts she has come up with as of recently, all of which are impressive. One involves a rapid succession of tight loops and a spiral through the middle of them; with the rainbow effect her mane and tail create, it looks like a colorful knot being pulled apart, like when you pull one string to untie your shoes. With another, Dash flies around a small cloud at a fast rate. Her speed, combined with the natural ions in the cloud, create a visible electrical current running around the cloud. When the entire cloud is crackling with lightning running through and around it, she kicks the cloud hard. It creates a small explosion of clouds and electricity, which sparks off in all directions. I wonder how it would look at nighttime, with the electricity more visible then.

I come up with a game of sorts at one point. I gather as many clouds as I can, positioning them in a large stack, the clouds a few feet below those above them. The object is to dive down from above and go through as many clouds as possible before coming to a stop. Rainbow Dash goes first; she makes it through thirteen of the thick clouds before the clouds below her are too compacted for her to break through. I end up making it through thirteen as well; I figure we go through an equal amount because she has more speed, but less mass, and I am the opposite. We continue trying to break the thirteen-cloud barrier for some time. On Dash's sixth attempt, she makes it halfway through the next cloud; I declare her the winner with thirteen-and-a-half clouds.

We break up the stack of clouds, placing them randomly about the area, then select one of the clouds at a higher elevation to take a break on. She sits beside me on a soft white cloud, both of us breathing a little heavily and smiling happily. I look into the sky, and see that a few hours have passed, as the sun sits at a downwards angle in the sky. A light breeze is all that flows through the air, and the temperature is still comfortable, making recovery a little more enjoyable than when on a hot or cold day. After my breathing and heart rate are back to being only slightly elevated, I glance over to Rainbow.

She sits staring up into the sky, way up. It looks like she's trying to figure out or plan something. I watch her for a few minutes, seeing her face contort in thought here and there. Eventually she looks over at me, a grin on her face.

"I want to show you something. If I can do it, it's really cool, and awesome, and radical, I promise," she says, waiting for my reply.

I smile playfully. "Pinkie promise?"

She laughs, then says, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," going about the motions as she states the phrase.

I chuckle. "Okay, so, what do you want to show me?"

She starts to say something, but stops, catching herself. A sly grin crosses her face. "I don't think I'm going to tell you," she says playfully. I can tell she's been waiting to get me back for that one.

"Not cool," I state, making my face look serious for a moment. I return to grinning after a few seconds, unable to keep a straight face.

She smiles as well, then looks more solemn. "If I mess this up, don't laugh, okay?"

I note that she sounds a little anxious. "I won't," I reply, nodding and actually becoming serious. After a moment, I add, "And you won't mess this up," trying to build up her confidence. She looks at me for a moment, then smiles and nods firmly, her eyes setting in determination. She turns around, looking about, then turns her head back to me.

"Stay here, just watch me." I nod in reply, smiling reassuringly at her. She turns away, then jumps off the cloud and into the air. I watch as she begins to fly upwards, pumping her light blue wings against the air to push herself higher, and higher, and higher. I tilt my head farther and farther back, watching as her form gets smaller, eventually only discernible against the blue sky by her rainbow mane and tail, along with the multicolored trail following her up. I bring a foreleg up, shielding my eyes from the sun. I think I can just make her out as a colorful speck slowly moving away from me. Wow, she's getting really high up there...

I think she has stopped climbing upward. The small dot in my vision, barely visible at the top of the sky, does not grow any smaller. It moves around a little, Rainbow Dash seemingly positioning herself high above me. The seconds seem to go by slowly as I wait for the speck to move. A minute passes, and I'm about to fly up to check on her, when I notice the dot that is her beginning to grow larger.

It is growing larger quickly, very quickly. The cyan pegasus has to be moving at an extremely fast speed, and is likely pushing herself downwards, making herself faster than gravity alone can. After only a few seconds, I am starting to see her detail coming back into view. Her form still appears small in the sky, but I can make out that all of her legs are outstretched in front of and behind her. A streak of rainbow follows her, angled straight down and lacking its usual opaqueness, the color in it defined and vivid. I know she is going faster than she appears to be because of how I am situated in relation to her position.

Rainbow continues to grow closer. There seems to be something forming in front of her, or below her. It appears to be a white cone of some sort, slowly becoming larger and larger before her outstretched front hooves. The cone envelops the front of her body, distorting the way she looks as she dives downwards. She approaches extremely rapidly now. The cone of white becomes more and more pronounced as she nears. No way, is she really doing a--?

As if on cue, an explosion occurs overhead, around three hundred feet above me. The explosion lacks any sound, only giving off light. A circular wave of pure color erupts outwards, spreading rapidly in the sky. Every color in the light spectrum ripples throughout the expanding wave, creating a spectacular effect that changes the color of every particle in the wave every millisecond to another color. The spectrum of light has been broken, creating this massive explosion of color.

A tenth of a second later, a streak of color passes below my sight, under the cloud I sit atop. The white cone of air covering Rainbow Dash has been replaced a multicolored cone of air, bearing the same effect as the wave of color generated by the spectrum break. A thick rainbow, perfectly straight, pierces through the center of the explosion and continues downward, following the pegasus who created the event.

Half a second passes. My eardrums take a heavy impact as both a massive boom and a huge rush of air fill the sky. The sound of the explosion sounds like a gunshot going off in my ears, followed by the scream of wind rushing into them. The shockwave from the explosion presses against my entire body, throwing high-speed wind against my face and sending my fur and mane backwards along with pushing down on top of me, threatening to shove me down into the cloud. I lock my forelegs to prevent this from happening, squinting my eyes at the sudden blast of wind. My ears fold back against my head in distress at the sudden burst of noise.

When the sound and shockwave disperse, only a split second later, all that is left is the ring of color that continues to fill more and more of the sky above me. It seems to pulse with color, energy, life, as it flows out into the air. The Sonic Rainboom is one of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring, and terrifying things I have ever seen or experienced.

I watch as it continues to spread across the blue sky, filling it with color. A portion of the wave is hit by the sun's light, intensifying its color all the more. The rainbow that goes through the center of the ring of untamed light continues to remain bright and vivid, its colors as amplified as the wave's. Something tells me to find Rainbow Dash, make sure she is okay, but I can't take my eyes off of the ring of color.

After couple more seconds, the colors of the ring and the rainbow begin dissipating into the air. Like a fog being cleared away by sunlight, the light disappears with a mist-like effect, melting into the normal colors of the air and going out of sight. The wave of color melts away, back into the light of the day, and the rainbow running straight through its center begins to fade. Soon, all of the color is gone, and I stare at the light blue of the daytime sky. I continue to gaze at where the Sonic Rainboom occurred, unable to pull my eyes away as if I am searching for any remnant of the color.

I am sure that it is gone now, and only the blue sky remains. I blink a few times, feeling stunned. I am eventually able to move my focus from the area in the sky; the first thing I do is look down, searching for Rainbow. Looking over the edge of the cloud I sit on, I don't see her down below. I start to get a little worried, and go to stand up, but something catches my attention in the corner of my eye.

I turn and see Dash sitting on the cloud next to me. She pants heavily, almost to the point of wheezing. Her wings hang limply at her sides, twitching with muscle activity. Her multicolored mane is blown backwards a little, seemingly stuck that way from the wind blowing so hard against it. She is watching me, smiling with her magenta eyes. How long has she been here? I gaze back into her eyes, trying to find something to say. I realize my mouth is open, and close my jaw. I then feel my wings behind me; they are completely outstretched, feathers spread and all in excitement. I attempt to lower them, but find that I can't, and try to relax instead. I find it hard to relax as well.

I want to say something. All that comes out when I attempt to speak are some cracking noises from within my throat. Just calm down, wait a second. I find that I keep holding my breath, and resume breathing normally with a gasp. It seems to help. "That...that was..." I can't get out any more, and end my statement with a short release of breath. I cannot find words that can suitably describe my awe at the Sonic Rainboom.

Having recovered a little, but still breathing heavily, Rainbow Dash quietly asks, "Was it okay?" I nod shakily, still unable to respond properly. Say something, damn it! I clear my throat in an attempt to find my voice.

"It was more than okay, it was..." I pause, searching for the best words I can find. No one word seems to be able to properly describe what I have just witnessed. "...amazing, insane, wonderful, magnificent, stunning, mind-blowing,--!"

"Okay, I get it!" Rainbow cuts me off, laughing. I smile at her, a little more serious.

"It was awesome," I say simply. Her cyan face, already a shade of red from exhaustion, reddens even more, and she glances off to one side. She continues to pant, light blue chest heaving steadily. "Do you want some water?" I ask. She nods a few times, and I stand up. I search around in the air, spotting a cloud a short distance away. I jump off the cloud we sat upon, and begin flying towards the fluffy white object in the sky. Upon approaching the cloud, I get behind it and begin to push it back towards where Dash sits. I move the cloud so it is directly to the side and above the cloud we have claimed. Then, rising above the cloud a few feet, a kick out hard with one of my legs, striking the soft surface of the little white cloud.

Rain begins to pour out of the bottom of the cloud. I hover back over beside Rainbow Dash, settling down with her on my left. The cloud creates a waterfall-like effect before us, creating a shower (or drinking fountain) of sorts. The panting rainbow-maned pony beside me quickly moves forward, catching some of the rainwater in her mouth. After she has swallowed a few mouthfuls of water, she leans farther forward into the shower of rain, letting it splash against her head and neck. She remains there, basking in the water until the cloud spits out its last few drops of water. It promptly evaporates into the air, all of its water used.

Dash looks a little disappointed when it disappears, withdrawing her head back to a normal sitting position. Her head and mane are sopping wet with rainwater, and her slightly-darker hair lays over her eyes and face. She frowns for a moment, unable to see due to her waterlogged mane. I lean away from her as she begins twisting her head back and forth rapidly, much like a dog, throwing the water off of her hair and face. Unfortunately, most of the water comes off of her and on to me, soaking my head and mane. Flipping the wet hair out of my eyes, I see Rainbow giggling softly, looking a little sheepish. I smile and stand up, moving to the edge of the cloud farthest from her before shaking the water off of me.

I return to the now-dry pegasus, sitting down at her right again. "So, that was the Sonic Rainboom, right?" I already know it was, being that I had seen it something like three times before on a television show that seems so far in the past now.

"Yeah, the one and only!" Rainbow Dash says with pride, her chest swelling and chin raising. I smile, watching her. I begin nodding, recalling the event in my head.

"That was the coolest, awesome-est, radical-est thing I have ever seen," I say, using her three favorite adjectives. She smiles, looking a little more proud. I think for a moment, then add, "No, second coolest, awesome-est, radical-est thing I have ever seen." I look directly at her for emphasis on my meaning. She looks confused for a moment, then turns and looks at me, locking onto my eyes. Rainbow continues to wear a look of question, and goes to say something, opening her mouth. A split second later, she closes her mouth, eyes widening some in realization. She slouches down some, and her entire face goes beet-red; she continues to hold my gaze, though, and gives an embarrassed smile. My smile turns into a grin as I watch her blush, then I turn away, having had my fun. It's become a sort of hobby for me, trying to get her to blush; she doesn't do so often, so it's like a challenge to me.

"Um..." she begins softly. "...thanks." I don't need to look over at her to know she remains a deep shade of red in the face. I smile and nod a little, looking out into the afternoon sky. We're quiet for a short while, as I let her recover from both embarrassment and exhaustion. I remember something I need to say, and turn to look at her.

"Rainbow Dash?" I ask, grabbing her attention. She looks up from staring at her wings, moving them around and stretching. "Thank you, for showing me that." I smile to her, not able to think of anything to add. I want to find better words or a better way to show my gratefulness, but can't. A small smile appears on her face, and I think she understands how thankful I am.

I am caught by surprise when I feel a tight pressure around my forelegs and body, making my wings spread out behind me again. Warmth travels through my body, and I inhale sharply at the sensation. I smell a heavy scent of oxygen, with a little whiff of a spicy pepper smell woven into it. A soft presence is pinned against my left side, pressing against my shoulder and ribs. I blink a couple of times and look over and slightly down, searching for the source of the pressure.

Dash is hugging me tightly from the side, her cheek pressed against my left shoulder. It's a little uncomfortable with how hard she is squeezing me. I pull my forelegs out from her grasp, raising them above me and maintaining my balance while sitting on the cloud. She quickly changes her position, moving so that one side of her face is pressed against the black fur on my chest, both of her forelegs wrapped around my sides and pressing into my back, underneath my still-flared wings. She leans into me, her body pressed against mine. She sits almost directly in front of me, slightly angled. I lower my forelegs slowly, placing my left on her back, just above her wings, and my right around her head, pressing her a little closer to my chest. I begin to pet her mane slowly, taking in its soft texture as I wonder what the sudden hug is for.

She continues to grasp on to me, seemingly hugging me as if her life depended on it. I watch the top of her rainbow-colored head as she presses her face against my matte black chest. I can feel my wings starting to relax behind me; as they begin to settle against my sides, Rainbow Dash readjusts her forelegs to wrap them over my wings, pinning them against me tightly. I wince a little, my wings feeling bound, but continue to wait for any explanation from her, if it will come. After a minute or so of petting her hair and hugging her back, clarification does arrive.

"Thank you, Ferrum." I wonder what she is thanking me for, but remain silent, letting her continue. "You...you're always...you're always so...nice, to me, and friendly." I can feel my face change in a look of question. Rainbow pauses for a moment before continuing on softly in her scratchy voice. "You always tell me how awesome my tricks are, or how good I'm doing at cooking, or how I look nice, or..." She stops again; I can feel her face getting warmer against my chest, and feel heat rising in my own face. "And...you take me places, and always fly with me, and hang out with me..." Dash trails off again. I continue stroking her mane, trying to comfort her in some way.

She takes a deep breath, then sighs. "No pony has ever done that for me. Like, my friends hang out with me and stuff, and they're the best friends anypony could have. And I've got Tank, and he's awesome and fun, too. But..." She sighs again; I can almost feel her usual confidence ebbing away, her shoulders drooping but her grip tightening even more so around me. "I dunno...I'm supposed to be the coolest, awesome-est, radical-est pony in all of Equestria. And the Element of Loyalty. And the hero of Ponyville. But...it seems like no one really thinks I'm any of those things, except you," she finishes, going quiet against me. I keep petting her multicolored hair, feeling its silkiness against my fur. I think for a moment, choosing what I am about to say carefully.

"Rainbow Dash, you are all of those things, and more. You are the coolest, awesome-est, radical-est pony in all of Equestria. No other pony can be as cool as you, and even when you're uncool, you're still cool. Everything you do is awesome, from stunts only you can pull off to just being the one and only Rainbow Dash. And you're more radical than..." Damn, I could make a good math joke here. "...well, you're the most radical pony ever!" I pause, lowering my voice a little. "No pony could better represent the Element of Loyalty. You've never abandoned your friends, for anything, at any time...and you've never abandoned me. Even after I lied to you, even after telling you who I really am, what I used to be."

I stop again, letting my words sink in. "And you are the hero of Ponyville. You've prevented terrible accidents and helped those in need, selflessly risking your own safety just to help somepony you probably don't even know." I pause a final time, then continue on. "You're a hero to everypony, Rainbow. Everypony looks up to you, and admires you. They admire your coolness, your awesomeness, your radicalness, your loyalty, your heroism, everything about you, and are thankful to have you, whether they show it or not. Your friends, Ponyville, Equestria, and me, everypony." I go silent, still softly moving my right hoof along her mane.

I feel a small patch of wetness on my chest, where Rainbow Dash presses her face against me. I hear her sniff, and she moves one of her forelegs to wipe her face before returning it to my side and back, continuing to hug me tight. A couple of minutes pass, then she digs her cyan blue head into my black chest, her mane still being pet by my foreleg.

"Thank you, Ferrum." Her voice is quiet, and cracks a little. In response I lean down, placing the side of my face and chin against the top of her head lightly. An oxygen smell fills my nose as I inhale against her hair, and I can almost taste the slight spiciness that is barely present. Her mane feels like satin on my cheek and on the hoof that continues to move about her head and neck, steadily stroking her colorful hair. I close my eyes, letting the warmth of the afternoon sun and the warmth Rainbow creates flow through me.

***

I open my eyes, coming to my senses again. I feel a crick in my neck from having been sleeping the way I was. I lift my head off of Dash's, looking down at her.

We still sit on the cloud, high in the sky, the light blue pegasus still clinging to me, though not as tightly now. I notice I've flattened a small area of her mane from where I laid upon it. She still feels warm; the air around me feels less so. I glance up, and see that the sun is only around an hour from completely setting. Rainbow Dash's light snore brings my attention back to the top of her head, nestled against my chest. I lift one of my forelegs, which are still wrapped around her neck and back, and move it to her face. I brush my hoof against the exposed half of her face, gently rubbing her cheek. She seems soft and delicate, and odd change considering her usual bold, tomboyish demeanor. After a few seconds, her snoring ceases, and she begins to stir.

"Let's go home," I say quietly, rubbing her back a little. She shivers, and I notice I rubber between her wings by mistake. I move my hoof a little higher, rubbing between her shoulders instead. She gives a relaxed sigh, then goes to stand up. We pull away from each other and stand, stretching our wings before taking off, her leading by a short distance.

The flight passes in silence. She seems worn out, and I feel the same way, despite just having taken a pretty long nap. I feel some relief as we touch down outside the front door of her house, pushing our way inside. She starts to hover upwards, to the cupboards built into the walls of the cloud room, but I stop her, directing her to the table instead. I make us both sandwiches, and we eat, the air quiet. It just doesn't feel like anything needs to be said, in a good way. Tank flies downstairs at one point, and I grab him an apple to eat.

After we finish eating, we say goodnight to Tank. Rainbow reminds the tortoise to clean up what he doesn't finish, and then she and I make our way upstairs, to her bedroom.

The room is slowly getting darker, and the clouds composing the room reflect the red of the sunset on the late spring day. Dash and I separate at the foot of the bed, climbing into opposite sides. I slide under the covers, lying on my back and looking at the ceiling. I lay there for a moment and sigh, maybe in relaxation. Suddenly, I feel something warm passing over my chest, rubbing against my fur as it does. I look over to my right, at Rainbow Dash.

She is stretching her foreleg around my torso beneath the covers. I gaze at her magenta eyes as she does so, allowing her to continue. She presses into my back, pulling herself towards me while sliding her other foreleg beneath me, around my other side. Rainbow lays her head against my chest, pressing her own chest into my abdomen. I slowly lift my forelegs and drape one over her shoulder and neck, wrapping the other around her and pressing her into me. She is warm and soft in my grasp. I look down at her.

Dash looks up at me and smiles, then places her head back on my chest, closing her eyes. I smile as well, then lean back against the pillow, closing my eyes and hugging the rainbow-maned mare close.
> Chapter 20
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Slowly, but surely, I begin to wake up. My senses come to me in the order they always have: hearing, touch, taste, smell, and finally, sight. I can hear a few birds singing in the distance, close to the ground far below me; their songs are interrupted every so often by the sound of soft snoring in the room. The snoring comes from the pony I can feel pressed into me; Rainbow Dash is warm and soft against my torso. The room is fairly warm as well, and a light breeze blows through it. A taste of raspberry muffin remains in my mouth, left over from the previous night's dinner. A spicy scent fills my nose, warming it. I smile to myself, content with what I feel, and open my eyes.

I first see the cyan blue mare who hugs me as we lay in her comfortable bed. She is brightly lit by the warm summer sunshine of the late morning. A peaceful smile is on her lips as she lies on my matte black chest, her head rising and falling steadily as I inhale and exhale. Her silky mane spills about me, the six colors of it appearing bright and vivid as they reflect some of the light in the room. One of my forelegs lies against her hair; I lightly pet it, feeling its softness combined with the warmth it has taken in from the sunlight. I move my hoof a few inches, then gently set it down on her exposed cheek. I begin stroking her velvety cyan fur, relishing the warmth she always seems to give off.

Her snoring, which I find both cute and comical, ceases, and she begins breathing slowly and deeply, still tired and relaxed in the morning. I continue moving my hoof along her cheek, my black fur brushing against her light blue fur. Though she is awake, she continues to let me do this, and lets out a small sigh of relaxation. After a few seconds, she tilts her head up, looking at me. Rainbow's eyes sparkle, the magenta irises reflecting the light in the room as her multicolored mane does. I move the foreleg that was stroking her face over to her shoulder that is just above the blankets, rubbing back and forth slowly. We smile at each other, looking into the eyes of one another for some time. Eventually, Dash closes her eyes again, laying her head back upon my chest and sighing again. I lean back against the plushy cloud pillow of her bed, looking up at the fluffy white ceiling while I continue to rub her shoulder.

How long has it been...? About...six? Six months? Yes, about six months. Six months since I landed on the doorstep of the pony I hug against me. It is summer, something like June now. Half a year...has it been that long? It doesn't seem like it at all. It seems like only yesterday I woke up in a bed that wasn't mine, with a body that wasn't mine, yet was, with a broken right wing. And in the house of my favorite character from a television show. I can still remember everything, everything that happened that day. But, I still don't know if I really understand what happened. Maybe I never will. Maybe I'm not meant to. And...I'm okay with that.

I begin thinking about my family again, my friends, my past, seeing it before me, displayed on the white ceiling for only me to see. It's been a while since I've remembered any of it. I find that I do not feel sad, or homesick, or angry, or anything else; rather, I feel...content. I don't feel happy about the fact that everything I have ever known is gone, not at all. But I do feel like it was...worth it? That seems to describe it, I suppose. I lost everything, but found...this. A world I had adored for so long. A career I enjoy and never want to leave. More true friends than anyone could ever hope for. And...love. For a moment I feel the brush of Rainbow Dash's fur against mine as I move my foreleg along her shoulder. She stirs a little, and I begin releasing my grasp on her, allowing her to get up. The colorful pegasus rolls off of me and out of the bed, and I follow suit, landing on the floor and sinking into it a little. We grasp the messy covers together, pulling it back into place. Dash's cutie mark comes back into view as the blankets are straightened out, a storm cloud with a tri-colored lightning bolt emblazoned on the purple covers. I smile to her, receiving a smile and a friendly gaze that I hold with her for a moment. We trot over to the stairs, beginning the descent down to the kitchen. Tank greets us there, looking hungry, and I fetch a carrot for him, giving him a friendly pat on the shell before letting him eat.

She begins to ransack the cupboards, deciding on what to have for breakfast. Watching her, an idea forms in my head. "Hey, Rainbow?" I ask, attracting her attention. She turns, smiling at me.

"Yeah, what's up?" she replies in her scratchy voice.

I smile, then say, "How about I take you out for...um...brunch today?" The idea just sounds like it would be something nice for this late Saturday morning in summer. The air that flows in through the windows feels nice, and a quick glance out one of the window-holes in the cloud house shows me the day is a nice one. Rainbow's home seems to be the only cloud in the sky.

She smiles back, a hint of playfulness on her face. "Are you asking me on a...date?" she asks, like a news reporter critically questioning someone. I grin back to her.

"Why, yes, I think I am."

She continues to look at me playfully, then smiles sincerely. "I think that sounds awesome." I smile wider and nod to her, feeling pleased.

"I'll be right back," I inform her, turning back to the stairs and stepping up them. I make my way to the second floor of the cloud tower, the living room. I trot further into it, moving to the largest couch at the back of the room. I sidestep the table and move to the side of the couch, leaning down. A small pile of cloth bags sits beside the cloud sofa, neatly arranged. A month or so ago I had finally remembered to ask Rainbow Dash if a bank existed in Ponyville; she gladly showed me its location and helped me get an account started. While most of my bits are i the bank, stored away with little use to me currently, I still keep a small stash of money where I always have, in case of a rainy day. I'm not really sure how much I'll need, so I pick up two bags, filled with ten jingly bits each, in my teeth, storing them away on me. Satisfied, I return to the stairs, trotting down.

Rainbow stands idly, watching Tank eat. She turns when I reach the bottom of the stairs, smiling. I return the smile.

"So, where would you like to go?" I ask her. She frowns in thought, glancing upwards. She thinks for a few seconds, then returns her eyes to mine.

"Well...I've always kinda wanted to try that fancy place down in Ponyville. Y'know, near town hall?" I nod in affirmation, remembering. I also recall the nicety of the restaurant, and wonder if I ought to clean myself up a little. "I should probably...um...look better, if we're going to go there," says Dash, seemingly thinking the same thing as me.

"You already look amazing, you know," I say, smiling warmly to her. She blushes, smiling and looking embarrassed.

"I...I don't look that great...I've still got bed head." She points a hoof towards her mussed hair, continuing to blush. I chuckle, then direct one of my forelegs towards the stairs, indicating for her to go ahead of me. She nods and does so, and I follow her up to her bedroom. Once we reach the top floor, she hangs a left, entering her bathroom. I stand in the doorway, waiting to see what she wants to do. "Mind helping me?" Rainbow Dash asks, nodding towards the brush on the counter in the cloud bathroom. I bite down on the brush's handle, spinning it in my teeth so the bristles face outwards. She smiles and turns to one side, flipping her head to move all of the hair in her mane to the side facing me.

I approach her mane with the brush in my jaws. I start at the portion of her mane at the bottom of her neck, pulling the hairbrush as gently as I can through her slightly-tangled hair. The first of the six colors in her hair to become smooth is violet. It is followed by blue, then green as I continue to move up her neck, brushing steadily and carefully. When I am finished with that portion of her mane, I step back and look at it. It is completely smooth, all of the colors aligning in perfectly proportioned stripes. I move back towards her, this time nearing her head. My height gives me the perfect position over the remaining three colors in her mane, red, orange, and yellow. I take the brush through all three at once, then go back a few times to make sure I've gotten everything. I step away from her, replacing the brush on the counter.

As Rainbow looks at herself in the mirror, I look at my work as well. Her mane looks much different from usual; all of the jagged and rough edges it usually has are gone, replaced now by smooth curves. No tufts of hair stick up, and all of the colors in her hair are smooth and flow flawlessly into one another. She smiles, looking pleased, then looks over at me.

"Okay, your turn," she says. I snort, then trot closer to her. She picks up the hairbrush, then looks up to me, frowning. I understand immediately, and sit down on the floor. As soon as I do, I feel the bristles of the hairbrush begin combing through my mane. I feel a tug here and there, but Dash seems to be trying not to pull on my hair too bad, After a few minutes of sitting still, she steps back, and I stand again. I look in the mirror, turning at an angle to see myself. My two-toned mane of gray is now smooth, feeling somewhat softer against my head and neck. The lighter inner layer of gray is perfectly outlined by the darker outer layer of gray in my mane. It looks nice, but I would rather have it at its usual unkempt state. I'm absolutely sure Rainbow Dash feels the same way in regards to her mane.

"Thanks," I say, smiling before heading to the doorway. "Coming?" I ask, noticing she remains in front of the mirror, looking at herself.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a sec," she replies, smiling. I turn and trot down the stairs, waiting in the kitchen for her. Tank continues to munch on his apple, only halfway through it at this point. I smile at the reptilian aviator, watching him slowly eat until I hear Dash arrive a minute later. I turn to look at her, a part of me wondering what she was doing. I instantly notice she has altered her hair a little more. Near the bottom of her mane, she has tied all of her hair together with an orange hair tie. It makes the colors in her mane expand near the middle; I recognize the hairstyle as the one she wore during the Grand Galloping Gala. I blink once in some surprise; the simple change has made her look so much more different.

"Wow..." I begin. "...you look...gorgeous."

Rainbow blushes heavily and looks down, pawing at the floor a little. "You really think so?" she asks softly.

"Of course! Just...wow." I am truly stunned by the way she looks; she seems so...beautiful, delicate, feminine, nothing at all like the usual adventurous, tomboyish Rainbow Dash. The fact that she is the fastest and most competitive pony in Equestria, yet is also...this...amazes me in every way. I continue to gaze at her for a moment longer, smiling in awe. When the red disappears from her face and she looks back up at me, I ask, "Ready to go?" She nods and smiles to me, and I hold open the door for her with a foreleg, following her outside after she trots through the doorway.

The day is bright and clear. It is a warm summer morning, or midday, and the light breeze that courses through the air comes with perfect timing, just as the heat begins to get uncomfortable. Dash and I fly at a slower rate than normal, to try and keep the disarray of our manes to a minimal. Though I would rather be going fast, it is nice to just cruise along casually and enjoy the day. The currents flowing under my wings, keeping me aloft as I steadily coast along beside the cyan pegasus, make for a smooth flight down to Ponyville. The great conditions make me want to fly freely so badly, but I know it can wait.

We land on the outskirts of the town, trying not to kick up too much dust as we settle down. I smile over at her as I fold my wings at my sides, then we begin trotting into Ponyville. We landed outside a portion of the town not too far from the center, where the restaurant is, so the trip to the town square is short. Ponies of every color, shape, and size bustle about as the time nears midday on this Saturday. I see them going into the shops decorating the center of town, buying things from various vendors, going into and out of the town hall, and just chatting amongst themselves. I look over at my workplace, the stone building with its rusted iron sign bearing the symbol that also rests on my flanks. I smile, thinking of it. Forge usually keeps the shop open on the weekends, but he tends it alone. I've asked before if he wanted me in every day, as he is, but he said that it's still his shop. I understand what he meant by that; he feels a connection to his shop, his life's work, and I know it's the least I can do to respect that. I turn away from the smithy, looking around for the restaurant. I spot it, and motion for Rainbow to follow me to it.

We weave about the ponies crowding the town square, working our way over to the restaurant. Upon nearing it, I observe some of the details. The restaurant has a small, white building, which looks similar to some of the Canterlot architecture I have seen. It appears to hold a small seating area, along with some sort of checkout counter; that's about all I can see from looking through the windows of the structure. The majority of the restaurant appears to be outdoors, with many tables shaded by umbrellas. Hay bales appear to serve as chairs, and there are two to four of the hay seats at each outdoor table. The tuxedoed pony waiter I had seen before trots from table to table, delivering and taking orders from the residents of Ponyville seated at them. I note that there don't seem to be too many ponies eating there, a fact I am glad of. Rainbow Dash and I reach the door of the restaurant, and I push it open with my head, holding it for her once inside.

A pony stands behind the counter I had spotted, also wearing a tuxedo and looking quite spiffy. He smiles at us, then asks, "Hello, party of how many today?"

"Just us two," I reply, smiling back to him, then looking over at Dash. She smiles cheerfully up at me.

"Right this way," the pony replies, stepping out from behind the counter and trotting towards an open doorway. We follow him outside. He guides us over to an empty table with two bales of hay, nodding and stepping back once beside it to allow us to sit down. I smile and nod to him in thanks, and he trots back to the white building. I clamber up on to the bound block of hay; it is quite comfortable, and is much better than sitting on the ground. The umbrella over the table makes the air around the table feel cool. I look up and see Rainbow situating herself on the hay bale. She smiles at me, and I return the smile happily. The pony waiter approaches our table, setting two paper menus and two potted flowering plants in front of us before trotting off. I glance to one of the menus, reaching out with my right hoof and pulling it towards me. I look up and down the menu.

There aren't many foods on the list that I recognize. Many are names of flowers coupled with the dish they are in, like Oleander Souffle or Bread and Buttercup. I frown, only seeing a few flowers or plants I know. I look up at the rainbow-maned mare sitting across the small table from me. She looks up from her own menu, a frown on her face as well.

"I'm not gonna lie, I have no idea as to what any of this is," I tell her flatly, smiling a little in some embarrassment.

"Good, I thought I was the only one," she replies, still looking confused. We look back down to the menus. I notice there is a special for the day listed at the bottom of the menu, Lily Wellington. Well, it can't be too bad. It's only flowers. Decision made, I return my gaze to Rainbow Dash. She is chewing on something while continuing to observe her menu with a frown; I notice the flower in the pot in front of her is gone, stems with bite marks on them left in its place. I lean forward and take a bite of my own appetizer, munching on the flower while watching Rainbow read her menu with a creased brow. Eventually, she looks up at me, pushing the menu away and twisting her face in confusion. The waiter trots up again.

"Are you ready to order?" he asks, glancing to and fro at us. I snort in reply, shooting a look at my menu before giving up.

"I'll have the special for today," I say.

Dash pauses for a moment, then seems to give up as well. "Yeah, me too."

"The Lily Wellington, excellent choices. A fine dish, if I may say so myself. Your dishes will arrive shortly." The pony turns and trots away, leaving us a second time. I look across the table to Rainbow Dash, smiling and chuckling a little. She does the same, sharing the amusement at our inability to function properly in a fancy restaurant. We sit patiently, waiting for our food to arrive. I finish off the rest of my flower appetizer, feeling hungry. I make some small talk with her, commenting on the nice weather. She notes the good conditions for flight, and seems like she wants to go flying at some point; I rejoice quietly to myself, already getting tired of sitting and having nice looking hair.

After around ten minutes, the waiter brings two platters to our table, setting them before us. "Thank you for your patience," he says, then trots off to tend to another customer. I look down at my plate, which matches Dash's almost identically. A large group of lilies is clustered neatly on the fine platter, surrounded by cooked mushrooms and some sort of sauce. It looks pretty delicious. I glance up and see Rainbow looking hungrily at hers; she licks her lips with an orange tongue. I smile, then look back down at my meal. I lean slowly towards it, pulling off one of the lilies and eating it. It's a delicious flower, and has a slightly sweet taste to it. I take my time eating, this being a place of fine dining and all; Rainbow Dash is straining to do the same.

My plate is soon empty as I chew the last of the cooked mushrooms in my mouth. The food was much tastier than I expected it to be; unlike meats and certain plants, flowers tend to have a set taste that can't be altered in many ways. However, the restaurant seemed to do an excellent job in mixing the flavor of the lilies with others, resulting in a satisfying dish. I sigh happily and move my eyes to the cyan blue pony who sits across from me. She is finishing off the last of the lilies on her own plate, clearing it as well. After swallowing, she smiles contentedly.

"That was really good," she comments.

"Agreed," I reply, nodding my head. We wait idly for a few minutes until the tuxedo-wearing pony waiter arrives at our table again. He tells me the total cost of the meals, and I pay him with a tip, storing what remaining bits I have on me again. He thanks me and tells us to enjoy our day, and trots off, leaving us to our own devices. I look over at Rainbow Dash and smile.

She smiles back, then says, "That was a nice date. Thanks."

I grin, feeling satisfied with her satisfaction. "I'm glad you liked it." I pause for a moment, holding her smile and gaze with my own. "So, what do you want to do now?"

She begins to grin as well. "Wanna go flying?"

"Yes." She starts laughing at my quick and eager reply. We stand from the table, and begin heading towards the white building. We pass through it, smiling to the pony at the counter before exiting the restaurant. Once outside again, we begin trotting quickly out of Ponyville, making our way to the outskirts of the town a second time. I shake my head vigorously, causing my mane to return to its casual state. Upon doing so, Rainbow quickly pulls the orange hair tie from her mane, setting it loose. She whips her head back and forth, and when she stops, her mane looks normal again. I realize I had missed her usual hairstyle, and smile warmly to her. She grins back in just as friendly a manner, and simultaneously, we jump into the air.

We soar away from Ponyville, flying away from it and the cities it lies near until the only thing that surrounds us is open fields and forests. A few clouds dot the sky here and there, and the sun shines brightly. The day is perfect; and the best part is, most days in the Equestrian summer are just like this one.

Dash and I fly about with no purpose, just enjoying ourselves. My face is locked in a grin, and I can't help but laugh in glee as I traverse the air. I feel free and happy.

We start off just shooting around in the skies, diving, rising, spinning, looping, gliding, and doing whatever else we want. At one point we begin flying closer to one another, and our joyride turns into some sort of dance amidst the bright blue sky. She and I weave around each other in the air, narrowly missing one another, performing loops so that we meet side-by-side, upside-down at the peak of the loop, just brushing by each other mid-flight. After a while, she hovers in one place, high up in the air, and I fly up to join her.

A daring grin crosses her face, a look of determination filling her bright red-purple eyes. "Follow my lead," she instructs, and I nod in excitement and some question. She flies beside me, lining herself up. "Stop on three." Wait, what? "One..." Stop? Stop flying? "...two..." Oh, boy. "...three!" I flare my wings outwards, as I would while coming up out of a dive. I feel a quick movement against my right wing, the wing nearest Rainbow Dash, and look over. She has somehow intertwined her left wing into my right; cyan blue and matte black feathers mesh with one another, layered atop each other. A small onset of panic enters my mind, but I push it away, trusting the rainbow-maned pegasus. She begins to tilt forward, and I follow suit.

We begin to spiral downwards. The increasing chill created by the air speeding over me is interrupted by the warmth of her wing against mine. Time seems to slow as adrenaline kicks in, and the ground spins as we dive towards it. As we near somewhere around one hundred feet from the earth, I feel Rainbow's wing tensing up. I prepare myself, and a split second later, she breaks right, separating herself from me. I break left only a moment later, keeping my wings outstretched and resisting the pull of gravity as I quickly level out over the ground. I laugh with giddiness, doing a few loops and spins in the air to burn off the increased adrenaline. When Dash and I meet up again in the sky, we pound hooves in achievement.

I realize the trick she and I had just performed was one the Wonderbolts had shown off a few months ago, when we saw them for their spring airshow. Soarin' and Spitfire had joined wings and spiraled towards the earth in the same fashion, breaking off at the last second as Rainbow Dash and I did.

From that point onward in the day, we begin doing tricks we can recall from the airshow. We pull off (or attempt to pull off) as many stunts as we can remember, showing the individual ones to each other and trying them a few times each, and attempting a few more coupled tricks as well. I feel somewhat clumsy in her presence, though she still applauds me on the stunts I can perform with decency (we both laugh on the many tricks I fail). She performs every one of the stunts she remembers flawlessly, and when she doesn't complete one at her standards, she tries it again until she can get it perfectly. I admire her elegance and prowess as she does the tricks. The Wonderbolts are nothing compared to her, I think with a smile.

***

I land on the cloud, pushing my wings forwards and stomping down with all four hooves to stop myself. The soft and fluffy surface of the condensed water bunches up in front of my hooves as I grind quickly to a halt. I chose the biggest, highest cloud I could find, which turned out to be average-sized and very high up, above the rest of the clouds in the late afternoon sky. Tucking my wings into my sides, I scan around. Where is she? I continue looking around, squinting my eyes in an effort to focus my view.

I can hear something approaching; it sounds like a voice, all too familiar to me. I spin quickly towards its source, and am just in time to see a cyan blue pegasus barreling towards me, a streak of rainbow following her path. I think she is in the middle of saying something along the lines of "look out", but she is cut off when her body slams into my side. The wind is knocked out of me and my vision flashes for a moment upon impact. Rainbow Dash has hit my side while going fairly fast, and her momentum has pulled me off my hooves.

I hit the surface of the cloud hard, feeling the odd combination of softness and hardness beneath my opposite side. Her light weight soon lands as well, on me. We slide backwards a short distance before halting near the edge of the cloud. My ribcage and stomach hurt, but I don't think anything is broken, maybe bruised at the most. I roll a little, lying on my back. I can feel my wings fully spread behind me in surprise. Dash shifts a little on top of me as I roll over; when I am done moving, she lays with her chest on mine, and her face is only a few inches away from mine. Her wings are outstretched behind her as well, and she wears a look of embarassment and worry. The worry disappears when she sees I am alright, leaving her looking sheepish.

I smile at her as she lays on top of me. She feels warm, and her soft fur rubs against mine. Her breathing is a little heavy on my face, and has a spicy smell; my own panting blends with hers in the air between our faces. Rainbow grins back and blushes. I start laughing, not really sure why. She joins me, and we laugh together, piled atop one another. By the time we stop, my stomach hurts even more with the combination of pain from laughing and the pain from a pegasus mare ramming into my side. Her laughing starts to die down as well. She starts trying to talk, but she keeps interrupting herself by giggling.

"Sorry, I was going way faster than I thought I was, and..." Rainbow Dash starts to chuckle again, and a small fit of laughter quietly shakes my body.

"It's okay. You alright?"

"Yeah, I think I'm okay." She seems to realize something, and a second later she rolls off to my left, laying on the cloud beside me. I look over at her and grin, receiving a toothy smile in return. I lean my head back against the cloud, staring up into the sky. The sky is a pinkish color; I look around, and find the sun, near its point of setting on the distant horizon. It's that late already? It seems like the day has gone by so fast, too fast. I glance over at Rainbow again, wondering if she is wanting to do anything else. She lies with her back on the cloud, trying to recover her stamina; she seems perfectly content with gazing into the sky. I decide I am as well, and lean my head back again. I bring up my right foreleg, moving it behind my head to tilt it forward some so I can watch the sun as it disappears slowly from the sky.

I lie with my head propped up on my foreleg for some time, looking over at Dash every once in a while. A light smile crosses her face, and her eyes are half-closed. The magenta of her eyes appears bright as it reflects the similarly-colored sunlight in the summer sky. She looks relaxed and happy; I smile to myself and return my gaze to the sun, which is now halfway below the horizon. We are higher than any of the other clouds in the nearby sky, so it seems like the sky is clear and open. 

Something begins to grasp my attention, within my own mind. It is a thought, a command, to myself.

Tell her.

I feel confused at my own thought. Tell her what? Have I forgotten something? Did she want me to remember something? I begin racking my brain, trying to remember anything I can that I may have forgotten, but am interrupted by my mind.

Tell her. Tell her, now.

My confusion increases. I continue searching my memory for a short while. Then, it suddenly dawns on me what I am trying to tell myself.

No, I can't...I can't tell her that.

Do it, tell her. Right now.

My stomach churns a little. My mind is racing, trying to win against my conscience, or instinct, or whatever commands me to do what I do.

I can't. What if she doesn't feel the same?

You won't know either way if you never tell her.

I've caught myself at an impasse. What logic that exists within my head is triumphing over the rest of me, the part of me that panics. I can't fight against it because it is...logical. It makes sense. And I can't go against what makes sense, because that would mean I have lost my sanity. I'm starting to feel sick.

Alright. I'll tell her. I have to. I won't get another chance. I inhale slowly and deeply, then let out my breath just as steadily. I set my jaw, grinding my teeth a little and feeling anxious. I turn my head to my left, looking at the cyan blue pegasus as she lies on the cloud beside me. I swallow, trying to keep my breathing deep and steady.

"Rai--" I start, my voice catching. I clear my throat, feeling some anger towards myself. Come on, spit it out. I take another breath, then continue. "Rainbow Dash?" She turns to look at me, smiling. A hint of worry enters her face, likely upon seeing how nervous I must look. She waits patiently, though, quietly watching me as I work up the strength to say three simple yet ridiculously hard to say words. I inhale again, closing my eyes holding my breath a moment before speaking.

"I lov--mmph?"

I feel my face contort in surprise as my speech is somehow cut off. I immediately begin to feel an intense feeling of warmth spreading throughout my body, starting at my face; my mouth, specifically. The sudden wave of heat spreads in my face, to all four of my hooves, even to the tips of my wings, which I can feel completely outstretched below my weight on the cloud. My mind goes into a state of panic at the sudden feeling. I attempt to calm myself down, trying to determine the source of the warmth. I note that the comfortable heat is more intense above and partially around me, over my entire chest and belly, near the sides of my legs, and near my neck. I can also make out a silky softness laying against parts of my face, chest, neck, and even a little bit of my legs. I work my way up to my face, and find that the warmth is most intense on...my lips. I snap open my eyes.

I am staring at a face that is touching mine. Most of it is a light blue, a cyan color. Hair containing separated streaks of six different colors, every color in the rainbow, drape over the face, some of it on to my own face, along with my chest and neck. A pair of forelegs stand rigid, placed on either side of my neck. The eyes of the face so close to mine are squeezed shut. Rainbow Dash stands over me, her lips pressed against mine.

My eyes widen to full size at the realization. I try to move, but find myself paralyzed, frozen by an odd mixture of fear, surprise, and a desire not to pull away. The warmth traversing from her mouth to mine has fully enveloped my body now; the feeling scares me with its alien presence, yet it feels so comforting and relaxing. I am almost one hundred percent sure time has slowed down, as the milliseconds feel like years. Focusing my vision, back on the pegasus mare in front of me, I notice that her face is filled with signs of anxiety. Her eyes are squeezed together tightly, and the lids of them quiver under stress from how hard she is closing them and from nervousness. Looking down and crossing my eyes, I can see and feel her lips shaking slightly. In fact, as my eyes dart around my field of view, I see all of her is shaking, just barely enough to be noticeable. I also see that her wings are flared out and up behind her, as mine are as I lay on them.

More fear enters my brain upon seeing Rainbow so nervous. The most brave and confident pony in Equestria shakes with nervousness and fear as she kisses me. This is likely something new and unexpected for her as well. Upon a split second's decision, a decision that seems to take hours to decide upon, I remove my right hoof from behind my head, keeping my head in place after doing so. I slowly begin to move both of my forelegs up from the cloud, towards the cyan blue pegasus standing over me. It seems to take ages, but I finally move my shaking hooves behind Dash's neck, then pull carefully towards my own face. The sides of my hooves press against the back of her neck, pulling her steadily downwards; her mane feels soft and silky, and is a somewhat comforting presence.

Rainbow Dash begins to relax a little, allowing me to pull her down towards me. Eventually my head rests against the cloud we are atop, but I continue to pull my forelegs in. She lowers down, soon coming to rest on top of me; my torso gets even warmer as I take in more of the heat she radiates. Not needing to prop herself up on her legs any more, I feel her move her forelegs from the sides of my neck to behind it, wrapped around it as my forelegs are wrapped around hers. I can feel her light blue fur brushing against and melding with my matte black fur, her rainbow-colored hair caressing my face and neck and laying against my light and dark gray mane, her somewhat rapid breathing softly washing over my face, smelling of spicy peppers. I take a last look at her face, filled with panic and anxiety, then kiss her back.

I slam my eyes shut and move towards her, pressing her head into mine as I do. Another wave of heat rushes through my body as my lips press into hers. I want to kiss her now, and throw myself at her as she did to me only a moment ago. Rainbow Dash recoils in surprise for only a fraction of a second before pressing her body and lips against mine even harder. There is nothing else right now, only her and I. All I feel is the warmth and softness of her body, the silkiness of her mane, the press of her snout against mine, a small vaccuum of air on my face as she inhales sharply, the tight grip of her forelegs around the sides and back of my neck, and the press of her soft lips locked onto my own. Her breathing and the rapid beating of my heart fill my ears. I take in a deep breath, and smell a heavy scent of spices, one very recognizable to me by now; I also catch a metallic sort of smell in the air, and wonder quickly if it is what I smell like. My vision is dark from my eyes being closed. My sense of taste is nearly overwhelmed; a warm, spicy taste fills my mouth and throat. I recognize the taste; it is easily comparable to the taste of a rainbow, the kind I would often sneak mouthfuls of from the pools of rainbow surrounding Rainbow Dash's home. And yet, it is somehow even more delicious and perfect in spiciness, and is much more...exciting and exotic, but also holds a friendly and welcoming taste. It is hard to imagine, let alone describe, how a single taste is able to convey so much, yet it does.

I slowly pull one of my forelegs along the back of her neck, petting her colorful mane. She moves her head a little, making herself more comfortable as she lays on me. I savor every single frame of time that passes while we kiss, embracing her warmth, her taste, her softness, everything about her. She begins to rub her forelegs along my neck, pulling herself into me. I pull myself into her as well, wanting to be as close as I can to her, as much of me connected with her as possible. Rainbow Dash and I kiss for what seems like an entire lifetime.

When the time seems right, I pull away from her, and she pulls back as well. Time seems to return to normal; only a few seconds have passed. I continue to feel the warmth and press of her body, but now feel the heat from the summer sun, and a light breeze blows over us. The melodies of birds play below us, sounding distant. I look up at her as she holds herself a few inches above my face, opening my eyes again. She opens hers as well. Her large, bright, beautiful magneta eyes seem to sparkle. The red of the sky, created by the setting sun, is reflected and refracted in her eyes. I want to smile, smile at her until my face gives out; maybe I am, but I can't tell. My entire face, my entire body, feels completely numb. She looks the way I feel, a stunned yet overjoyed look covering her face. We gaze into each other's eyes for a few seconds.

"I love you, too, Ferrum."

Rainbow Dash smiles the most happy, kind, warm smile I have ever seen. I smile back, pouring what I feel into my face, my happiness, my shock, my relief, my love for her. I continue to look at her eyes, seeing all of the same emotions and feelings I have in their reddish-purple depths. She closes her eyes and shifts downwards, her body rubbing against mine as she moves. After a few seconds of careful and gentle movement, she stops, now lying more beside me. She places her forelegs around my side and over my chest, hugging tightly. She sets her head down on the middle of my chest, rising and falling with my steady breathing. She faces me as she lies against me. Her eyes open once more, looking into mine as I watch her. She smiles at me, then closes her magenta eyes, pressing her cyan blue head into my chest.

I wrap my forelegs around her head and neck, stroking her face and mane and pulling her into me. I lean my head back against the soft cloud we rest on, sighing. I look up into the sky, looking at how it paints the remaining wispy clouds above with a red tint, then close my eyes, smiling. As I lay on the cloud, feeling the warmth of the pegasus mare I love resting on me while I move my hooves over her, a thought enters my mind, a thought that seems to sum up the events past half of a year pretty well.

And to think I was just dropping in for a visit.

I smile to myself, amused by the wittiness of the phrase. I sigh with happiness again before drifting off to sleep, hugging Rainbow Dash tightly against me.

The End
> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The transition from a dream to reality is an odd one, one that isn't defined very well. But somehow, one always knows when they are in reality; this is not always true with a dream. I have woken up for some time now wondering if I've been living a dream, but finding that it does not feel like I am. Every day seems to be a new day of reality. Maybe it's how good a reality it is that makes me wonder, like a good reality shouldn't be possible. The same thing passes through my mind as I wake up on this day, dreams fading into consciousness. I prepare to open my eyes, expecting to be back in a life that seems so far away, back home.

I am home. But not my old home, the place I called home at some point. I am where I am truly home. I'm staring at a wall--no, ceiling of white. I gaze at the cloud for a while, observing its fluffy texture and peaceful appearance. The white is offset by a calm glow of light, yellow in color. I shift around a little, tilting my head up and lifting it off of what has to be the one of the most comfortable pillows in the world. My minor movement causes some feeling to return; I feel warm, inside and out. There is a presence pressed against my torso; I look to where I feel its familiar touch. Six colors enter my view; the colors of the rainbow, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, seem to flow over my matte black chest, which only just sticks out from under the purple blankets covering me. I see part of a light blue face as well, lying upon me. The eyes are closed, and a small smile is present on the face as it lightly snores. I feel the cool breath blowing over my fur every few seconds. The body of the head disappears below the covers, like the rest of my own body.

I smile to myself, watching Rainbow Dash as she lies asleep on my chest. Her forelegs are wrapped around me, as mine are hers, and we hug tightly in the late morning sunlight. I wouldn't want to wake up any other way.

I decide to look around the room, starting from the left. A few stacks of books are carefully balanced on the bedside table nearest me. There are quite a few Daring Do books in those stacks; I'm glad the series is so extensive, else Dash and I would have ran out of things to read a while ago. Some books on the history of Equestria are present as well; I read those every so often. History is something that has always interested me, and having a whole new history to read about made me pretty happy.

Continuing along, my eyes fall upon the closet, which hangs half-open as per usual. The inside is mainly filled with Wonderbolts memorabilia. We need to put up a shelf or something. For the past few years, I've always taken her to the spring Wonderbolts show in Canterlot; it gets better every year.

How many years has it been? What a good question. I think for a moment, trying to recall specific events. Let's see...okay, that was a year ago...so...two? Three years? Something like three years since I first awoke here. I attempt to remember how long it has been as much as I can; I don't really know why, though. I suppose it helps my memory, exercises it a little. It does, yet doesn't seem like it's been that long. It feels like the years go by lightning-quick, but if I begin to remember certain events, it feels like it's been forever.

My eyes move to the doorway; or more, the sides of the doorway. Where posters of the Wonderbolts once hung, there are now framed photographs. There are quite a few, filling up the walls between the closet, doorway, and bathroom. All of them are of two very familiar ponies, one I see when I look in a mirror, the other currently fast asleep on my chest. They are pictures of Rainbow Dash and I; one is a nice one, taken at the usual picnic spot, out by the single tree in the field outside of Ponyville. We stand together, grinning and leaning our heads on one another. Another picture is in the same area, but our faces, poised with ridiculous expressions, fill the picture. There is one of us flying together, not even aware of the camera; I'm still unsure as to how Twilight snapped this photo with her camera. It's a nice picture, though. The rest of the pictures are generally similar, all of them of us smiling happily or being silly. I smile again, then continue my scan of the room.

Light streams in through a window, reflecting off of the floor and filling the room. The other bedside table holds another Daring Do book, the one Rainbow Dash is currently reading, a picture of a group of six inseparable friends, and a new picture. This photo is of the faces of a black pony, a stallion, with blue eyes and a two-tone gray mane, a cyan blue pony, a mare, with magenta eyes and a mane of many colors, and a small green tortoise, whose head is wedged in between the two. Our family photo is a nice one, I think.

Done looking around, my gaze returns to the top of Rainbow's head. She snores softly, causing me to smile and exhale in short laughter. I look at her for a minute, mind starting to churn. I make a decision.

Today is the day I propose.

Something just tells me to do it, and that something has always been right in the past. There is no sense in arguing with it, so I don't. My mind is set. I watch her sleep a moment longer, then begin to extract myself from her grasp. It takes a few minutes of careful, slow movement, but I am able to free myself; I move a pillow where my chest was, then allow her head to settle down on top of it. She appears to remain asleep; I let out a quiet sigh of relief. I lean down, moving my head down to the area beneath the bed. Using my teeth, I pull out a book that I had stashed away underneath, storing it away on me. Upon a sudden realization, I turn to the bedside table I stand beside. I pull open a drawer; inside is some loose-leaf blank paper and a pencil. I pull out a sheet, then pick up the pencil in my mouth. It has a wooden taste. I begin steadily writing, trying to keep my words legible.

Running errands
Be back soon
Love you Dashie

Pinkie has a good pet name for her; Dash doesn't mind my use of it, and actually likes it, as she has told me on occasion. Whenever she mentions that, though, she always includes that if anyone other than Pinkie or I begins calling her that, she's going to have Princess Celestia send me to the moon. I don't doubt her, either. Satisfied with the note, I set it in front of her face on the bed. I replace the pencil and close the drawer quietly, then silently move towards the exit. The cyan pegasus continues to snore, so I begin trotting down the stairs.

***
I make my way past the various colorful ponies trotting about the streets of Ponyville, towards a somewhat-out-of-place treehouse near the edge of town. I approach the wooden door, and tap my right hoof against its surface a few times. I hear some voices inside; a few seconds pass, then the door opens. It appears nopony has opened the door; I glance down and see Spike holding the door open.

"Hey, Ferrum!" Spike says, eyes brightening upon seeing me.

"Hey, Spike, how've you been?"

"Great! So, do you need to talk to Twilight, or...?"

"Yeah, I do. I won't be staying too long, sorry." I smile at the purple and green dragon. He smiles back.

"That's okay. Come on in!" He opens the door wider, allowing me inside. I nod and smile to him, trotting into the treehouse.

"Spike, who is it?" a voice calls from upstairs.

"It's Ferrum!" Spike yells back.

"Oh! Just a minute!" I hear some rustling on the floor above, and give a questioning look to Spike. He shrugs; I chuckle and continue waiting patiently for the violet unicorn. Almost exactly a minute later, she comes rushing down the stairs, looking a little unkempt.

"Everything alright?" I ask.

"Oh, yes, just trying a new spell. What can I help you with?"

"I just wanted to return this book, to the library. I'm done using it now." I pull the book out, setting it on a nearby table that has some open space.

"That's right, Traditions of Marriage in Equestria." She uses her magic to lift the book off the table, then moves over to the rows of bookcases lining the room and replaces the book in its correct area. She turns back to me, an inquisitive look on her face. "If I may ask..."

"I'm going to propose to Rainbow Dash. Is that alright?" I ask, cutting her off.

Twilight grins widely. "Absolutely!" She quickly trots over and gives me a hug. "I'm one hundred percent sure she'll say 'yes'," she says over my shoulder. She pulls away and I smile at her.

"Thanks, I hope so. Thank you for letting me borrow the book, too."

"Of course! I hope it helped." I smile and nod to her, then turn to leave.

"Good luck, Ferrum!" Spike says to me. He reaches out a hand towards me, showing his palm; I tap his hand with my hoof.

"Thanks, Spike." I remember something, and turn back to Twilight again. "By the way, what is today?"

"Saturday, June the twentieth," the unicorn replies like a machine. June twentieth...I'll have to remember that. For some reason, the date seems familiar. I wonder if it is the same date I confessed my true feelings for Rainbow Dash.

"Thanks. See you later!" I say, directing it at both Spike and Twilight Sparkle. I receive a pair of goodbyes, then trot out the door. I begin heading towards my next destination; Carousel Boutique. After a few minutes of steady trotting through Ponyville, I arrive at the fancy building. I go up to the door and tap lightly a few times, then wait. After a moment, a white unicorn opens the door.

"Ferrum, darling! I haven't seen you in ages! What brings you?" Rarity asks.

"I'm here for that gem I requested a little while back. Do you happen to have it?"

"Why, yes, I do! Follow me, if you will, and please wipe your hooves." I glance down at the mat I am standing on, and drag my hooves across it before trotting inside. The door to the boutique swings shut behind me; I find myself in an open white room, filled with various dresses and accessories on display. Some stairs at the back of the room lead to the second floor. I spot Rarity trotting up these stairs, and upon a moment's thought, decide to follow her.

The second floor is the same white color as the first, but seems to be a mixture of a small apartment and an office. A grand-looking bed in the room is covered by pieces of fabric and unfinished clothing. Rolls of fabric, needles, and gems lie all over the room. I glance down, watching my step as I head a little further into the room. The white unicorn digs through a chest in the corner, which I see is filled with many colors of gems. Spike would go nuts...Rarity surfaces, closing the chest and frowning. She spots something on a nearby dresser/mirror combination, and an aha! look crosses her face. She picks up a small, black box using her magic, creating a blueish aura around it. The box levitates over to me; I reach out a hoof and take it, then open the small lid with my teeth. Inside are two small diamonds, cut very precisely. They refract the rays of light they catch, making them appear to shine with every color in the rainbow. I smile and close the box, carefully storing it away.

"Thank you," I tell Rarity.

"It's no trouble, darling." She pauses for a moment, then leans closer to me, as if somepony might hear us. "Are you going to do it soon?"

"Today," I reply, nodding and smiling. The white unicorn beams with excitement; maybe it wasn't such a wise choice telling the town gossip.

"I am simply overjoyed to hear that! You two are so good together!" She sounds giddy; I'm beginning to get a little scared.

"Thanks." I smile again.

"Well, go on! Go propose!" Rarity says, nearly commanding. I chuckle and nod, then make my way down the stairs and out of Carousel Boutique. I turn back towards the center of Ponyville, traversing the streets and passing by ponies going about their business until I reach it. I maneuver around the town hall, my sights set on a stone building; an iron symbol hangs above it, one replicating that on my flanks. Passing under the rusting hammer-and-anvil, I push into the structure.

The first thing I notice is the temperature change, as usual. The temperature in the smithy is always hotter than it is outside, even during the hottest of summer days; that doesn't make for very fun working conditions. Luckily, Equestria has been having a fairly mild summer so far. I look around the room; I am the only one present in the shop portion of the smithy. The walls are lined with metal creations, about half of which are mine. As I look at some of my work, I begin recalling how challenging each one was, how long it took, what all I did to make it. My eyes come to focus on a set of four katanas; they are my favorites. I had carved each one differently, a process that took many a day, in a couple of cases many a week. No two of the katanas are alike, save for in size and shape. I am particularly proud of them, even more so that Forge felt them worthy to display for the public. Speaking of Forge...I trot around the counter and push through the second door in the room.

To my minor dismay, this room is hotter than the last, due to the pit of fire burning brightly in the middle of the room. I glance about, and spot Forge over at his workbench, hammering away at what looks like the head of an axe. He doesn't seem to notice I've come into the room.

"Hey, Forge?" The gray pegasus jumps a little in surprise, turning and looking at me with bewilderment. He relaxes upon recognizing me, then sets the hammer in his mouth down before turning back to me.

"Ferrum, you're too quiet, you know that? What do you need, son? You didn't forget it was the weekend again, did you?"

"Never again," I reply, laughing. "If you've got the time, I could use your help with something."

"Alright, what's the occasion?"

I pull out the small, black box, opening it and holding it out for Forge to see. He whistles. "Rarity cut those for you?" I nod in affirmation. "I can tell, those are some excellent cuts. What are you using them for?" I jerk my head towards my workbench, indicating for him to follow. I trot over to the metal table, setting the box down on its surface. I sidestep to a collection of cardboard boxes that are piled to one side of my workbench, moving a few off the top of the stack. The boxes are a bit heavy, being filled with various knives and other tools I make in my spare time. I eventually find my oldest box, which has some of my older work. I begin to lift out the knives, most of which are combat blades, simple designs I began my blacksmithing career on. I set the last knife, an eight-inch combat style, on the table, and spot my goal at the bottom of the box. I carefully grab two small, metal objects in my teeth, laying them on the bench. I replace all of my metal works carefully before turning back to Forge, who is eyeing the objects. They are circular in shape, and hollow in the middle; they are rings. I recall a portion of the book I had earlier returned to Twilight Sparkle.

Traditions of Marriage in Equestria

Chapter Six: Rings

Subsection: Pegasi

Like earth ponies, pegasi lack a horn to place a ring on. However, they do possess wings; these have become a key factor when dealing with rings. Traditionally, when one pegasus proposes to another, a single ring is given. This ring is fitted on the dominant wing of the pegasus receiving it, over the tip of the main bone in the wing. At the wedding ceremony, a second ring is fitted onto the other wing. It is acceptable for both rings to be removed after the wedding, so as not to prohibit flying ability...

The excerpt dissipates in my mind. I shake my head, trying to refocus. "I'd like your help with setting the gems into these rings," I inform Forge. He looks at me, then smiles and nods in agreement. I return the smile, and we begin locking one of the rings into a vise. I use a pair of tweezers to grasp one of the gems, then carefully place it into its designated slot on the first ring, a blank ring made of pure gold. Forge begins the process of sealing the diamond into the gold, one which I trust his experience more than my own. I've made the rings and gotten this far with no mistakes, so I don't want to push my luck. We repeat the process with the second ring, one also made of pure gold, but carved with intricate designs. They were very hard to make, with the small size I was working with. I think it turned out nice, though, and I hope she'll think so as well. After about ten minutes in total, Forge releases the vise and sets the second completed ring on the table. I move the rings into the same black box Rarity was keeping my diamonds in, storing them away on me.

"Took you long enough," Forge says, hitting me with a hoof jokingly. I smile and chuckle. His face gets a little more serious, and he continues, "You're a good pony, Ferrum. You'll make her happy. Don't worry." I nod appreciatively. Despite the reassurance I'm getting, there is still doubt, which I suppose should be expected.

"Thanks, Forge." He nods and smiles at me. I return the smile, then turn and go over to the exit. I leave the shop a moment later, then stand blankly outside for a few seconds. Well, I suppose I've already gotten Twilight's and Rarity's approval...I should probably make sure the rest of them are okay with it. With that in mind, I angle myself towards the nearest of the Mane Six, who happens to be Pinkie Pie, also located in the town square.

I arrive at Sugarcube Corner half a minute later. I push in through the door to the colorful confectionery-creating shop, and my nose is instantly filled with the smell of desserts of all kinds. I look around, and spot the pink mare I am looking for standing behind the counter. Upon noticing me, she gasps excitedly.

"Ferrum!" She begins to bounce up and down in the most hyper manner possible. "I haven't seen you in forever! I mean, I saw you a week ago, at the picnic, but still! Where's Dashie? She's usually with you! And you're usually with her! And--"

"Pinkie!" I say, cutting her off. She grins widely at me.

"Yes?"

"I came by so I could ask you a question."

"Oh, I love questions! Can we play Twenty Questions? Ooh! Me first! Is it...blue?"

"Uh...no."

"Is it an animal?"

"No, Pinkie--"

"Is it something you can eat?"

"Pinkie Pie, no, we're not playing Twenty Questions."

The pink pony frowns. "Ponyfeathers."

"I came by to tell you that...well, I'm going to propose to Rainbow Dash today. I want to know if that's okay with you."

Pinkie Pie gasps dramatically. "You and Dashie are getting married?! No way! I didn't even see that coming!"

"Pinkie, we've been together for nearly three years."

"Oh, really? That makes sense, then. I can throw a Ferrum-and-Dashie party! With cake! And balloons! And streamers! And more balloons! No, less balloons. But more streamers! Well, maybe that's too many streamers...maybe more balloons...?"

"So you're okay with me proposing to Rainbow?" I ask before she can continue.

"Yeah!"

"Okay, thanks." As there doesn't seem to be much left to say, I turn and begin to trot towards the door.

"Ferrum, wait!"

I turn back to Pinkie. "Yes?"

"I made you this cupcake, and I just remembered to give it to you!" The pink earth pony pulls out a cupcake from behind the counter, setting it on its surface. I trot over to the counter, intrigued. The cupcake is covered in six colors of icing, layered in progressing order of color; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, just like a rainbow. "It's a new flavor I made; I think you'll like it." Pinkie Pie winks at me. I glance at the cupcake, momentarily wondering about my health and how it might be affected upon tasting this new flavor. I decide to pick up the cupcake with a hoof, and peel off one part off the wrapping. I look at Pinkie, who watches me intently, then slowly take a bite of the mysterious cupcake, managing to get some of both the icing and the cake.

There is the sweet taste of icing, and then...a familiar taste. The cake itself is moist and perfectly baked. It creates a spicy flavor in my mouth, one I have tasted a lot in the past few years. My eyes widen a little in realization: this tastes like Rainbow Dash. My mind darts to Cupcakes, but I push the thought away. Pinkie is not a psychotic killer. I swallow the spicy cake, savoring the last of its flavor for a moment. I look up at Pinkie Pie, who grins as she watches me.

"How did you...?" I trail off.

"How did I what?" she asks innocently.

"Uh...never mind. Thanks, Pinkie. It's really tasty."

"I knew you'd like it! Tell Dashie I said hi!" I nod and smile to the pink pony, then exit Sugarcube Corner. I begin heading away from the center of town, munching on my cupcake as I walk along. Oh, Celestia, every bite is like kissing Rainbow Dash. Sort of. It just tastes like her. I'm starting to miss her already; I look into the sky. The sun hasn't moved much; I've probably been down in Ponyville for around thirty minutes. I finish off my cupcake and speed up a little, making my way to the outskirts of town.

I arrive at Fluttershy's cottage fairly quickly. She lives far enough away so that she gets peace, but is still close enough to the town so that the trip isn't too extensive. I make my way up the path and tap a few times on the wooden door. There are some hoofsteps, and then the door opens a few inches.

"Hello--oh, Ferrum! Please, come in," says Fluttershy, opening the door all the way. I nod graciously and trot into the cottage. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. I came by to ask a question, sort of."

"Oh, okay. What is it?"

"Um...I'm going to propose to Rainbow Dash today. I wanted to see if that was okay with you."

"Oh, my," Fluttershy says, sounding mildly surprised. "Of course that's okay with me! How long have you two been together?"

"Three years," I reply, smiling happily.

"It seems like it hasn't been that long at all..." the timid yellow pegasus comments. I nod in agreement. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don't think so, sorry. Thank you, though." I smile to her.

"Here, why don't I send some flowers with you to give to her?"

"Fluttershy, you don't have to do that."

"No, but I want to. Stay here, please." She trots off into another room, disappearing for a moment. I oblige and stay put, waiting for her to return. After a few minutes, she comes back, holding a small bouquet of flowers in her mouth. I notice there are six flowers; all of them are a different type, and all are a different color of the rainbow. I recall giving the exact same types of flowers to Dash on our first Hearts and Hooves Day together; I've managed to find a different gift for her each year since then, but now, the flowers seem suitable. I decide to give them to her when I return home. Fluttershy gives me the bouquet, and I put them safely away, alongside the little, black box.

"Thank you," I tell Fluttershy, smiling to her. She smiles and nods back to me. I turn and push out the door, back into the summer afternoon. My last stop is a little ways away from here, but I'm far enough outside of town so that I may fly. I stretch out my wings, then take off into the sky. It feels too open without Rainbow flying next to me. I push myself to fly faster, and arrive at my destination within a few minutes. The hills of Sweet Apple Acres stretch before me; I fly towards the numerous rows of apple trees and begin searching. I spot the orange pony I am looking for, bucking a tree down below. I glide down, settling down a short distance away. I trot up, maintaining some distance so as not to get hit by a stray falling apple.

"Applejack?" The earth pony jumps in surprise, turning to face me. Her face brightens when she sees me.

"Howdy, Ferrum! Y'about scared the livin' daylights outta me," she says with a chuckle. I laugh as well.

"Sorry. I've been told I'm quiet. Got a little time? I have a question."

"Sure, Ah've been needin' a break. What's on yer' mind?"

"I'm going to propose to Rainbow Dash today. I want to know if that's alright with you. I've been asking the others as well." The orange mare's face gains some seriousness as she contemplates this. After a moment, she looks at me, smiling sincerely.

"Ah'm fully alright with that," she says. "Yah' might not know this, Ferrum, but yah've helped Rainbow out more than yah' know. Ah'm glad tah' see yer' doin' this."

"Thanks." I smile at Applejack, a grateful smile I've used a lot today. She gives me an odd look.

"Are yah' nervous?" I nod. "Don't be. She couldn't say no if she tried." I chuckle, nodding to her, thankful for the reassurance; I need all that I can get. I smile at Applejack a last time, then jump into the air.

***

I land outside of our home, folding my wings to my sides. I make sure the bouquet and the rings are still on me, which they are. As I approach the door, I can smell something delicious coming from within the house. I push inside, and find Rainbow Dash standing over the table, a pan in her teeth. She lays a few pancakes atop a plate across from one already filled with them. She deposits the last of them on the plate, then sets the pan down and turns to me, grinning. She rushes over and hugs me with both her forelegs; I reach up one of my own forelegs and pull her closer, embracing her filling warmth. She leans her head towards me, and I begin to do the same towards her. Our lips press against one another's, and I shut my eyes tight.

A wave of heat immediately begins to spread throughout my body, starting at my mouth and traveling to the tips of my wings and hooves. The smell of pancakes is replaced by the smell of her breath, a warm, spicy scent, like the smell of peppers. My mouth is filled with a taste that matches the smell, a delicious, spicy taste. I feel her tongue brush against mine, and respond by moving my own tongue along hers, intensifying the spiciness overwhelming my taste buds. I move my foreleg along the back of her neck, rubbing her silky mane and soft fur. The intense kiss breaks apart after a few incredibly long seconds. Rainbow looks at me with large, sparkling magenta eyes.

"I missed you this morning, Ferr."

"I missed you, too, Dashie," I reply, squeezing her tightly again before releasing my grasp on her. She sets back down on the cloud floor with a quiet wump.

"I made pancakes," she says after a moment, aiming a hoof at the pancakes on the table.

"Well, I have a little something we can put on them." I pull out the flowers from behind my back, holding them in my teeth. Her mouth opens a little in surprise, and she inhales deeply near the flowers, smiling happily. She nods to the table, then goes over and sits down in front of a plate of pancakes. I sit at the opposite plate, leaning across the table and setting the bouquet on her stack of pancakes. The pancakes look excellent, actually, browned to just the right point, none burnt, none under-cooked. I've taught her well.

Rainbow looks up from the flowers, gazing at me. "You're awesome."

I smile, then glance down. "These pancakes are awesome." I look back up to see her feigning hurt, and chuckle. "You're awesome, too." She smiles and laughs as well.

"Do they look okay?"

"I think you did really good on them, they look excellent."

"Thanks." After a moment of admiring the pancakes a little longer, we dig in to our brunch. The pancakes live up to their appearance, and are perfectly cooked. I hungrily devour them within a few minutes' time, as does she. Dash saves the flowers for dessert, and shares them with me, allowing me to finish off half-eaten flowers she creates. Tank hovers over and joins us at one point, taking a break from his apple breakfast to slowly snack on one of our flowers. After the flowers are finished off as well, we clean up our mess and stand idly for a minute, gazing at each other.

"Ready?" the cyan blue pegasus asks me. I nod and smile in reply, already knowing what she wants to do for the day. We say a goodbye to Tank, trot out the door, and take to the skies together.

***

"That was awesome," Rainbow Dash says between breaths. We lie on a cloud, her on my left, winded from something like eight straight hours of flying, one of the longest and most stunt-filled runs we've ever done. I turn my head, looking at her and grinning toothily. I reach out a hoof, holding it near her. She responds by tiredly knocking her own hoof against it, looking at me and grinning as well. Her hair is wind-blown, and looks kind of funny; mine likely looks the exact same way, though. I'm breathing too heavily to emit a laugh, so I just continue to smile open-mouthed. My wings ache and twitch a little behind me as I lay with my back against the cloud. Worth it.

I feel a velvety touch against my left hoof; tilting my head up, I see Rainbow sliding her hoof under mine, then curling her hoof to grasp on. I wrap my black hoof around her light blue hoof. I suppose it would be like holding hands, if we had hands. I'm already hot, so the additional warmth on my hoof isn't as comfortable as usual, but her presence is nice. We continue attempting to recover our breath for the next ten minutes or so. Glancing around the sky, I figure we're pretty high up; the only other clouds above us are wispy and transparent. The sky is starting to take on a yellow hue, and the sun will be setting soon. I get an odd feeling of deja vu for a moment.

I move to a sitting position, stretching my wings out behind me. Dash follows suit, sitting up and moving beside me. She lies her head on my shoulder. I move my left foreleg around behind her, placing my hoof on the middle of her back, between her wings that brush against mine ever so lightly. I begin to slowly rub up and down, stroking the soft fur between her wings. She shudders, then sighs happily. I continue to pet her for a while, careful not to do so too quickly, else I'll begin tickling her by mistake. After she emits another relaxed sigh, I remove my hoof, replacing next to my right hoof on the surface of the cloud. I move my head down towards her, and she lifts her own head, using her peripheral to watch me. I place my lips on the base of her neck, kissing it lightly. I move up a little ways, then kiss a higher area of her neck. Rainbow Dash giggles quietly, and I see her close her eyes and smile out of the corner of my vision. I continue up the side of her cyan neck, eventually reaching just behind her ear. I raise my head a little higher, and begin nibbling playfully on the tip of her ear. She lets out a combination sigh and hum.

"I love you so much," I whisper softly into her ear.

"I love you so much," she repeats, leaning towards me more. I rest my head on top of hers, looking outwards. We are facing the sun, watching it as it begins its descent below the horizon. I nuzzle her colorful mane as we sit together, basked in the orange glow of the sky.

As the distant ball of fire begins to turn a red color, halfway consumed by the edge of the world, I hear a familiar voice within my head. It is a voice that has never failed me whenever it guides me, the voice that tells me when to pull out of a dive, when to remove a heated piece of steel from a forge, when to show my affection for Rainbow Dash.

Now.

Using a wing, I check to make sure I still possess the small, precious black box. I internally sigh in relief upon feeling its presence. Skillfully manipulating the same wing, I manage to open the box. I run my feathers against two ring-shaped objects, one of has noticeably more grooves and ridges that I can feel in the main portion of it. Removing this ring and storing it away for later, I check to make sure I didn't accidentally grab the other ring as well, and close the box, satisfied. I feel some pride in the fact I managed to pull that off using only one wing, no sight, and without alerting Rainbow. I go to stand, feeling her pull her head off of me upon realizing I want to do so. She watches me as I move to my hooves. I move around to face her head-on as she sits on the fluffy white cloud. I move my hooves around a little, suddenly feeling quite nervous. I inhale and exhale deeply, then look directly into her bright magenta eyes. Dash wears a look of mixed feelings, overall happiness, curiosity, and a little worry all present. Alright, nice and easy. Make sure to breathe. I clear my throat.

"Rainbow Dash..." It seems like a good way to start, and gives me a short pause to begin deciding my words on the fly. Maybe I should have rehearsed or something...too late now. "...I first met you around three, three-and-a-half years ago. You brought happiness and meaning to my life, even before I truly met you." I pause, still choosing my words with the carefulness of one dealing with landmines, whether I need to or not. The rainbow-maned pegasus watches me with a look I can't quite place; maybe a look of love, or confusion, or anticipation, or all three? I don't know. I continue on.

"I came into this world feeling scared and alone. I had a body that wasn't my own, was in an unfamiliar, yet familiar place, and was wounded. I didn't know what to think when I saw you the first time, whether to be happy to see you, or to be scared of you. But...you took me into your care. You helped to fix my wing, gave me a roof over my head, and dedication I didn't deserve." I stop again, this time to take in another deep breath, trying to relax my steadily increasing heart rate and upsetting stomach.

"You taught me how to fly, when I never knew how in the first place, opening up a whole new world for me. You forgave me and accepted me, even after I lied to you and revealed who I truly am, who I truly was. You continued to support me, and help me, and treat me as a friend when I needed one the most. You stayed loyal, to me." She holds my gaze, unblinking. Some panic enters my mind, as I can't seem to read her eyes, or even her face. Keep going.

"I realized I loved you. And I was a little scared, at first. But then, I accepted it, embraced it, because I knew I really did love you. And when you told me you felt the same...I was overjoyed, excited, relieved, and happy. And I've never been happier than when I'm with you. The past few years have been the best of my life. It seems like I met you, standing in your bathroom, only yesterday, and yet we've shared so much." I fill my lungs once more, letting out the air slowly. I focus on not passing out or throwing up for a moment, then take a fraction of a second to look at the pony sitting in front of me. Her rainbow-colored mane falls down over one shoulder as she sits on the surface of the cloud, the colors in it appearing bright and cheerful. Her face appears soft and friendly. The red tint of the setting sun glistens in her large, beautiful eyes, intensifying the already-bright magenta color of her irises. I love her. Feeling a small boost of confidence, I take in a deep breath.

"I love you, Dashie. And I want to be with you forever. So..." I break my gaze with her, grasping the box from behind my back in my teeth. I bring a hoof to my mouth, fumbling with the lid for a second before opening it. I balance the box containing a sparkling ring on my right hoof, then look back into her eyes. They look at the ring momentarily, then move back to my eyes, holding my gaze. "...will you marry me, Rainbow Dash?" I smile as best I can, watching her. Her mouth hangs slightly open in a look of shock; anxiety fills my head rapidly. Oh, Celestia, please say--

"Yes..." She trails off, and her look of surprise begins to turn into a smile, which begins spreading across her entire face quickly. "...yes! Yes! Oh my gosh, yes!" Rainbow Dash darts forward, wrapping her forelegs around me and squeezing so hard I can barely breathe. I nearly lose my hold on the ring, but manage to keep it on my outstretched hoof. I find an uncontrollable grin spreading across my own face, and I let out a huge sigh of relief. That, and she's forcing the air out of my lungs with her hug. I don't care, though, and hug her back tightly; I would be fine with dying of oxygen deprivation right now. I find that I am somehow laughing, for no apparent reason. Maybe I'm crying. I think Dash is, as I can feel splotches of wetness forming on my back every so often. I don't know how long we hug each other, possibly crying, but I am starting to feel lightheaded, and tap her on the back rapidly.

She releases her grasp, and I take in a huge gasp of air, panting a little afterwards. She smiles, looking somewhat embarrassed. I continue grinning happily, looking at her for a moment. I then realize I'm still holding the box with the ring, and motion for her to stand still. She seems to take note of the ring just now as well, and holds her place, spreading her wings out fully. I take a step over to her right wing, pulling the gold ring out carefully with my teeth. I crane my head up, and gently slip the ring over the tip of her wing. It fits perfectly, relieving me even more. I store the box away on me, and return to her front. Rainbow angles her wing forwards so she can see the ring. She admires it for a moment; I think she knows I made it myself. She looks back to me, her eyes sparkling with happiness and excitement.

Quicker than I can react, she lunges forward and grabs me, pulling me sideways as I lose my balance. I land with my back against the cloud, wings flared in surprise. She lies atop me, still grinning wide. She moves her head down, pressing her snout into mine. I feel the hard press of her soft lips, and a soothing yet exciting warmth rushes through my body. I reach my forelegs up and pull her as close as I can, mixing her cyan blue fur with my matte black fur, breathing in the air she breathes out, tasting the taste of her mouth. A perfect spiciness overtakes my tongue and nose, and I plunge into a trance-like state as we kiss passionately.

She pulls away after a moment, and I open my eyes as she does hers, meeting her shining magenta eyes. She smiles lovingly at me.

"I love you, Ferr."

"I love you, Dashie." I smile up at her, and she lays her head down on my chest. I press her into me, moving my forelegs along her silky mane, taking in her seemingly endless warmth that comforts me like no other. She rubs her cheek against the fur of my chest, pulling tightly against my sides and back. I lay my head against the cloud we lie on, smiling and watching as the remaining red in the clear summer sky slowly disappears.
> Afterword
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I'm unsure as to whether or not fanfics should really have afterwords. Either way, I feel a need to explain some things, deliver thanks and apologies, and so on. If you don't feel like reading this, that's fine, I wouldn't want to have to read a few thousand words of rambling, either. But if you are the mood to receive some thanks or an apology, read why I did what I did with Just Dropping In, et cetera, read on.

First order of business: I have some serious thanks to deliver.

Thank you for reading my story, Just Dropping In. I cannot express how grateful I am to you, the reader, for taking the time to read this work of fiction. Whether you actually enjoyed the read or not, I still want to give my sincerest thanks. 

To those of you who left a comment, giving me feedback, and to those of you who are planning to do so, thank you. Your opinions on the story have shaped how I have written it and how I will write in the future, and I can't thank you enough for helping me in such a way.

A thanks to those who left a like or dislike. Believe it or not, I like to see both. Like the feedback I receive in the comments, these are a way to tell me what I'm doing right or wrong, in a more undefined sense, of course. I always like  seeing another increment added to the green bar at the top of the story, and feel like I have somehow earned a precious gift that says "hey, I liked this story". However, it's the little red bar that affects me more. Every time I see the number of thumbs-down increase, even just a little, I wonder what I have done wrong. Maybe it's overreacting, but it is how I feel. Being so, I would really appreciate it if those of you who like or dislike leave a comment as well saying why you did so, especially in the case of a dislike. Help me out, let me know what I'm doing wrong; even if it is simply "I didn't like the story because I didn't like it".

You who enjoyed the story enough to add it to your favorites, I give you my astounded thanks. I can't fathom how my story would be so entertaining so that you would favorite it, but I will not question it, only thank you.

And finally, those of you who followed the story from beginning to end, watching as I created it, thank you. Your support kept me going, pushing me to finish the story and make it better and better.

I would like to thank everyone personally, but I fear that would take too much time, as I have a lot of people to thank. Know that though this is a general thanks, I am truly grateful to you each and all.

Also a thanks to my cat, whose name is Mouse. She was by my side nearly every night I was typing this story, keeping me company very early into the morning.

Continuing on, now I feel I have some things to apologize for, whether I really do or not.

I am sorry if my story offended you in any way, be it my cursing, the conspiratorial ideas within it, et cetera. I had no intention of offending anyone, and hope anyone that was offended knows this.

Also, I am extremely sorry if you did not like my story. I apologize for wasting your time, for it was completely upon your decision to read my story, thus upon your time. I hope to make a good story, as I believe all authors do; however, I know that I cannot please everyone. So, to those of you I could not please, I apologize.

I am not sorry if you did not like my story for...immature? I suppose that would work...reasons. By this I mean reasons such as, say, it was not a clopfic (I just don't do those. I find them hard to write, and they make me uncomfortable, so I do not write them), or because Rainbow Dash was not portrayed as a lesbian (Seriously, there is a very, very large difference between lesbian and tomboy. I have a feeling most of those wholeheartedly believing she is one have never met or seen a tomboy), or because it was a Human-in-Equestria-style story (Just because some are bad does not mean they all are). I feel my story ought to be judged on how good it is as a story, and for nothing else. I suppose I can't really enforce that logic, now can I?

I think that does it for thanks and apologies. I'd like to move on now to my purpose or inspiration behind writing the story.

Before I begin, I would like to restate that I have no intentions of offending anyone, as I feel what I am about to describe may do so. The inspiration for Just Dropping In basically came to me after I figured some things out, figured out some of my beliefs in life. I was raised with the Christian faith, not strongly, though. Christianity is my religion, but I don't go to church often, I don't pray often, things like that. Kind of a slacker-believer, I suppose. Being that I browse the Internet regularly, I have come to find that there seems to be a lot of conflict between Christians and athiests. I usually try to find a center point in arguments, that's just how I'm wired, I guess. So, I began to think things through.

I know evolution exists, or at least believe strongly it does. Not mass evolution, though. Like, small evolution, slow evolution; for example, how insects will evolve to resist pesticides over time. Adaptation through evolution. I do not believe man came from monkey, or fish, or whatever else, though. In that sense, I find the logic of atheism to be flawed. It leads me to believe that there is something out there, a creator of sorts. Not just with humans, though, but with other things, large things that often seem overlooked. For example, why do we have a will to live? I don't think space dust has a will to live, so why do we? Or, why is it that only humans seem able to think in a complex manner? Animals seem like they are almost programmed, programmed to survive and populate. We, on the other hand, want to progress, invent, learn, and so on. Why are we different? What made us that way?

Basically, I don't believe everything Christianity states, nor atheism, but rather a combination of both. Many of the science aspects of atheism, like evolution, are true and present to me. But, many of the larger things seem hard to explain, like how the universe came to existence, or why there is life. And there are parts of Christianity, or religion in general, that I believe, like how there is a creator. Yet, many things also don't make sense; many parts of the Bible, Christianity's book of faith, seem too humanized. Broad topics seem to be explained well by faith, and the more technical aspects of life by science.

Anyways. I began to wonder if there was really something like an afterlife, a heaven, or a hell, or a paradise, something. It makes sense, sort of, to me; if I were said creator, I would think that there should be someplace for my creations to live out eternity without suffering. I would be proud of my creations; letting them just die out, never to exist again, would be a waste, I think.

There is a phrase used in the book of Revelations, last book of the Bible. It's one of the few I remember well: "eye of the beholder". This is used when talking about what "heaven" would be like. It means that each person would see the afterlife the way only they wanted to see it, meaning the afterlife would be no set place, or time. If there is an afterlife, I think it would be this way. For example, if someone wanted only to, I don't know, live in a fictional world filled with ponies for eternity to find love, then they would. Sounds like a pretty good afterlife to me.

See where I'm going with this? I used the opportunity of the apparent "doomsday" approaching rapidly in 2012, the year of this writing, to make the character die and go to an afterlife of sorts. I am unsure as to how difficult that was to catch on to. Taking an "eye of the beholder" turn on said afterlife, I made the idea into a story.

I suppose that might beg the question, do I actually have feelings for Rainbow Dash, fictional rainbow-maned pegasus of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic?

The answer to that is no, no I do not. However, I do like her personality. So, in that sense, I do have feelings for her, but in an asexual sort of way, if you understand what I mean. I am not attracted to ponies, only to human females, but her personality attracts me. Again, the idea of "clopping" makes me uncomfortable, so I stick to romance, where the personality basically makes the character.

Next, I'd like to share some "fun facts", I suppose one might call them, about the story or me as an author.

This is the longest work of writing I have ever created, and the first work of writing not intended as schoolwork. I think the second longest paper I have ever written, a research paper written on firearms, came in at 15,000 words. This is over 100,000 words long, if you did not know.

This is my first fanfiction. Be gentle.

The main character and narrator, who goes by the alias "Ferrum" throughout most of the story, is actually four years older than I at the time of this writing, at twenty years old. I made the character older for a couple of reasons; the first was that it helped convey a sense of loneliness near the beginning. Being able to live alone, and not with my family as I currently do, allowed Ferrum to be, well, alone. It also allowed me to somewhat more openly reveal the character's status as a brony; being a "closet" brony, I can not do things like have a small Rainbow Dash on my bedside table, or watch MLP:FiM every day, but seeing as Ferrum is alone, he can do these things. Finally, I made Ferrum twenty years old because that's about how old I believe the Mane Six are. They have jobs, are larger than foals or even teenage ponies, can drink(cider is usually alcoholic), et cetera, but do not seem aged, leading me to believe they are adults, but not very old adults.

The only times I worked on this were very late at night, usually ranging between the 1 A.M. and 5 A.M. times. That made for some very tired mornings; it is a good thing I am on summer break currently, a fact I am quite grateful for, as it gives me a lot of time to write.

This took me, in total, something like a month, month and a half to complete. Not too long, I suppose, but not a short amount of time, either. I started out expecting it to take me two weeks; I am honestly glad it took so much longer.

I have never once, until writing this afterword, gone back and re-read any of the chapters, unless a mistake was pointed out or something was suggested for change. I don't plan on changing anything until it's mentioned, though; "why change what is already doing just fine" logic applies for me here.

Only six fun facts. What a buzz kill. Moving on, though. I'd like to start analyzing some of my choices in the story, chapter by chapter.

Chapter One. I decided to put a lot of focus on the five senses, as they make up everything about our lives. Without them, there is nothing. So, I started the story of with some philosophical thinking, a fun thing to do. Next, the apocalypse. I do not actually believe the apocalypse will occur; if it does, well, I'll be set for the afterlife, won't I? Anyways, it seemed like a good way to start the story. Don't ask me, ask that ridiculous brain of mine. I guess it worked out okay, though. I put a little emphasis on Rainbow Dash, and into the next chapter.

Two. Describing what a pony's body looks like, without comparing it to an actual pony or equine being, was quite hard, actually. Knocking myself out was fun, though.

Three. The thought process for what career to give Ferrum, as well as coming up with the name Ferrum, is basically just written down. What is written there is basically what I was thinking the whole time, with two a-ha moments resulting from it. Not really much else to explain here. As I'm writing this afterword, I'm looking back to the earlier chapters and skimming over them. I can see my writing style has changed somewhat over the past month and a half.

Not much to say for four. Yes, the Crystal Pelvis thing is a reference to Indiana Jones. But hey, all of Daring Do is a reference to Indiana Jones. I figured I'd play along with the clever writers.

Five. Tried to emphasize speed of pony recovery, especially in comparison to humans. Wouldn't that be nice, recovering about twenty times faster? Also added another slip-up by Ferrum. Rainbow Dash may lack an extensive vocabulary, but she is a very clever pony. Excuse of forgetting how to fly, unexpected empathy from Rainbow.

Six. This is kind of where I started to remember things I was forgetting, like Tank. Luckily I realized those things fairly early on. Also, a very angry Rainbow Dash. She took note of that slip-up as well, and got fed up. I have a feeling if I ever went to Equestria, I would do that, actually, slip up and say things that make me seem omniscient. Or like a spy.

Seven. Starting off with still angry Rainbow Dash. I was going to have her say "i'm going to kill you", but then I was like, oh wait, there isn't death in Equestria. Silly me. So yes, only pain. So much pain. Except it didn't happen, because I freaked her out with alien knowledge. I actually started feeling bad while writing. Lying is something I can and cannot do. To people I care about, it makes me sick to my stomach, unless I feel it is something that should not be public knowledge. To others, I seem to be able to lie quite easily, though I choose not to.

Eight. Yeah, Rainbow Dash would not be a good cook. Had some fun describing terrible pancakes. Also showing some more attraction to her via smell; I really do think she'd smell spicy, taste as well. Just seems to suit her, as rainbows share the same property. 

Nine/Ten. Hearth's Warming Eve, had to split it up else it would be too long, a result of my OCD for wanting the chapters to remain four-digit. Met the gang. Don't really have anything else to add for this one, either.

Eleven. Mainly focused on getting a job in Ponyville, as a blacksmith. Pretty much had my stuff together by this chapter, got a nice relationship starting to go between the two, got Ferrum a job, and so on.

Twelve. More focus on the job. I did this so that I wouldn't have to explain it as much later, to be frank. I attempted to emphasize that Ferrum was kind of made for blacksmithing, from the ease at which he picks things up. Who knows, maybe blacksmithing is really my thing, not gunsmithing. I'll let Fate decide that one, a few years ahead.

Thirteen/Fourteen. Hearts and Hooves, and a lot of inner monologue. Figured this would be an opportune time to decide upon whether Ferrum could get past the fact Dash was a pony or not. Again, as with earlier, this is basically what ran through my head as I thought this part out. He's a pony, she's a pony, they've got human personalities, I see no problems. I used contact via a hug as sort of a landmark thing, putting emphasis on it. If you didn't notice, there was very little contact, if any, prior to that. Touch is a powerful sense.

Fifteen. You know, I have a feeling the spot between a pegasus' wings is really sensitive, as well as ticklish. Like people's sides. Chapter is based on the Winter Wrap Up. I hope the song got stuck in your head, reader. It sure did in mine. I added this chapter just to see more interaction in the story and to use it sort of as a filler; I did this later with the party chapter, where Dash gets drunk.

Sixteen. Okay, cut me a little slack; what else do you get Rainbow Dash, the number one fan of the Wonderbolts? I had to throw this chapter in, it's like, required for any fic where Rainbow Dash receives a gift. I also decided to take on one of two main problems that seem to fill her life, that being the decision of either joining the Wonderbolts, living what she thinks would be the dream, or following her heart and staying loyal to her friends and town. If you couldn't tell, I chose the latter. I honestly don't think she'd find happiness with the Wonderbolts. Maybe for a little while, but I think her sense of loyalty would make it so she'd find true happiness with those she cares about (call me corny if you want).

Seventeen/Eighteen. I attempt to start making it seem like Ferrum is losing track of time more and more, that "time flies when you're having fun" logic. Like fifteen, these chapters are more filler than anything. Though, the conversation with Applejack isn't. Applejack is second best pony, by the way. I am unsure as to whether or not she is Rainbow's closest friend, but their competitiveness shows to me their kind of friendship, a look-out-for-the-other relationship. Being so, I made Applejack confront Ferrum in that don't-mess-this-up-though-I-doubt-you-will kind of way. Also, Dash gets wasted. Woohoo! I added that because I could, quite honestly. The inclusion of music I recognize and like actually has some significance; in an afterlife, there wouldn't be music you didn't like, now would there? Plus, I wanted to mention deadmau5 in a fanfic.

Nineteen. I really liked writing the last few chapters, especially this one. All dem' feels. I decided to add in the Sonic Rainboom near the end about halfway into making the story. Not to finish the story, but rather to basically push the relationship to its maximum point without the events of the last chapter. A discussion of Rainbow's second main conflict in life is also present, the appreciation thing. I've noticed she always seems to feel a need to prove herself to everyone, when everyone already adores her. I think she really needs to hear that from someone. Then again, she is just a fictional character, and I am thinking she's real again. I did that a lot while writing the story.

Twenty. I felt awesome for nailing the twenty-chapter mark on the head, and with hitting 100k words at the same time. One of the longer chapters, as I hoped it would be when I started writing it. I actually had the whole statement-of-love-cut-off-by-kiss thing planned for a while, and by a while meaning since the start of the story. Some references to earlier events in the story. Again, a lot of emphasis on the kiss and its feeling, much like when Ferrum is first hugged.

Last, but not least, the Epilogue. I began wondering if I should add an epilogue some time back, upon nearing the completion of the story. I actually tried the epilogue two times, and the second try is what is in the story. On the first try, I attempted setting it a good ten, fifteen years into the future. You might be able to guess some of the things I wanted to include. However, I found that I created too great a workload for myself; there was far too much to explain in the detail I wanted to explain it in, and I forgot quite a few things along the way. I eventually abandoned it, starting over and setting the epilogue only a few years after the events of Twenty. It worked out much nicer, believe me. I would like to throw in another thanks, as well, to all of those who supported the epilogue while it was still a mere possibility. I believe it ended the story quite nicely, and I wouldn't have made the decision to put it in without the surprising amount of support you all gave me.

That seems like a fairly good synopsis to me. If I left out anything that begs question from you, reader, leave a comment and let me know. I'll either add it into here or leave a comment in direct response.

Before I end this afterword, I have a request. If you would, have a look at a few gents here on FIMFiction. The first is Shadowflash. He is an excellent writer and artist, and deserves more popularity. Go check him out, read his blog, look at some art, read his fics, have a party. The other is EBeck, who is a user with an exceptional talent for analysis. He can take a username and make a guess (which I have found to be fairly accurate) on the personality, likes, and dislikes of the user. He's trying to get the attention of those at Equestria Daily, so go help him out by seeing if he'll analyze your username. Both I and they would appreciate it greatly.

My goal with Just Dropping In was to make it a good read, and maybe even to make you smile, reader. I hope it accomplished both. I can't thank you enough for reading it, and I truly hope you enjoyed it.